Throughout our site, these treasures are highlighted with a green or purple bar and the word Rarest. Most you can’t get anywhere else in North America, and the rest you’d be very hard-pressed to find. That makes them extra-endangered — and extra-exciting in the garden.
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Horace, 1894
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Inglescombe, 1912
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Duc van Tol Violet, 1700
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Louise de Coligny, 1940
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The Lizard, 1903
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Columbine, 1929
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Little Witch, 1921
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Duc de Berlin, 1854
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April Queen, 1938
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Madras, 1913
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La Riante, 1931
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Archeron, 1913
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Duc van Tol Red & White, 1750
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Rustom Pasha, 1930
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Argent, 1902
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Laurens Koster, 1906
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George Grappe, 1939
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Cottage Maid, 1857
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Rarest for SPRING PlantingDAHLIA
Andries’ Orange dahlia, 1936 – flower arranger’s delight
Arthur Hambley dahlia, 1955 – lavender-pink elephant
Bloodstone dahlia, 1939 – as brilliant as the ancient gem
Blue Danube dahlia, 1948 – mysterious, bluish lilac
Clair de Lune dahlia, 1946 – elegant and wildflowery
Deuil du Roi Albert dahlia, 1936 – royal purple and white
Fashion Monger dahlia, 1955 – stylish raspberry & cream
G.F. Hemerik dahlia, 1936 – bee-friendly dwarf
Glorie van Heemstede dahlia, 1947 – Zen-like simplicity
Klankstad Kerkrade dahlia, 1954 – spiky poofs of primrose
Lavender Chiffon dahlia, 1957 – cool, man, cool!
Little Beeswing dahlia, 1909 – flame and yellow honeycomb
Little Robert dahlia, 1964 – pompon-sized and neon-bright
Lutt Wichen dahlia, 1941 – gardenia-flowered “ground-cover” dahlia
Mrs. H. Brown dahlia, 1947 – love-child of the ‘Bishop’ & ‘Clair’
Mrs. I. De ver Warner dahlia, 1920 – saved by Kentucky farm family
Natal dahlia, 1959 – dark red Christmas ornament
Nepos dahlia, 1958 – baby-fresh masterpiece
Nita dahlia, 1959 – freckled twin of the great ‘Juanita’
Preference dahlia, 1955 – peachy-pink with dark stems
Princesse Louise de Suede dahlia, 1947 – chic, indescribable color
Requiem dahlia, 1952 – anything but somber
Union Jack dahlia, 1882 – candy-striped Victorian
White Aster dahlia, 1879 – world’s oldest garden dahlia
Willo Violet dahlia, 1937 – purple gumballs
Winsome dahlia, 1940 – shocking beauty
Wisconsin Red dahlia, 1910? – pass-along ruby-red
York and Lancaster dahlia, 1915? – mysterious history
DAYLILY
Autumn Minaret daylily, 1951 – up to 7 feet tall!
Baggette daylily, 1945 – cool lemon and old rose
Libby Finch daylily, 1949 – black cherry, white star
Luteola daylily, 1900 – my front yard daylily
Neyron Rose daylily, 1950 – raspberry-rose with ivory highlighting
Ophir daylily, 1924 – trumpet-shaped, American-bred pioneer
Painted Lady daylily, 1942 – cinnamon-orange
Port daylily, 1941 – small-flowered & glowing
Potentate daylily, 1943 – with plantlets on its bloom-stalks
Rosalind daylily, 1941 – the first red, wild from China
Theron daylily, 1934 – dark landmark
DIVERSE SPRING
Ehemanii canna, 1863 – arching sprays of dangling flowers
GLADIOLUS
Dauntless gladiolus, 1940 – Lauren Bacall in pink
Green Lace gladiolus, 1961 – daintily ruffled and cute as a button
Lucky Star gladiolus, 1966 – a truly fragrant glad!
Starface gladiolus, 1960 – rapturously beautiful
IRIS
Coronation iris, 1927 – the perfect yellow iris?
Crimson King iris, 1893 – Victorian rebloomer in rich claret
Demi-Deuil iris, 1912 – once called “the black and white iris”
Frank Adams iris, 1937 – parchment, bronze, and oxblood
Loreley iris, 1909 – perfectly imperfect charmer
Mrs. Horace Darwin iris, 1888 – elegant white
Rarest for FALL PlantingCROCUS
Albus crocus, 1847 – the “Starry Night” tommie
speciosus ‘Conqueror’ crocus, 1967 – fall-blooming naturalizer
Hubert Edelsten crocus, 1924 – purple petals with striking white bands
Weldenii Fairy crocus, 1952 – early light purple & white naturalizer
DAFFODIL
moschatus daffodil, 1604 – demurely nodding “Swan’s Neck”
Albatross daffodil, 1891 – propeller-like petals
April Queen daffodil, 1938 – bright, flame-kissed cup
Argent daffodil, 1902 – bright double with arms akimbo
Bath’s Flame daffodil, 1913 – one of Ron Scamp’s three favorites
Beersheba daffodil, 1923 – slender ivory trumpet
Brilliancy daffodil, 1906 – luminous Arts-and-Crafts-era beauty
Broughshane daffodil, 1938 – amber-white Irish trumpet
Butter and Eggs daffodil, 1777 – the classic cottage-garden double
Camellia daffodil, 1930 – chiffon yellow petals piled high
Conspicuus daffodil, 1869 – Victorian butterflies
Croesus daffodil, 1912 – gold and silver coins
Daphne daffodil, 1914 – ADS 2008 Best Historic Daffodil
Dick Wellband daffodil, 1921 – deep orange and cream
Doctor Alex Fleming daffodil, 1948 – Center is an exuberant ruffled skirt of frills and ruffles.
Early Pearl daffodil, 1899 – early, fragrant, and luminous
Feu de Joie daffodil, 1927 – free-spirited semi-double
Firebrand daffodil, 1897 – long creamy petals, fiery heart
Flower Drift daffodil, 1966 – free-flowering, frothy and vibrant
Horace daffodil, 1894 – poet of carpe diem
Inglescombe daffodil, 1912 – a double helping of sunlight
Insulinde daffodil, 1921 – graceful, exuberant double
Jenny daffodil, 1943 – like miniature shooting stars
King Alfred daffodil, 1899 – true stock!
Kinglet daffodil, 1959 – sweetly-fragrant, glorious, and Oregon-bred
La Riante daffodil, 1931 – Sweetly scented “laughing girl.”
Laurens Koster daffodil, 1906 – pioneering poetaz
Little Witch daffodil, 1921 – cute, very cute
Louise de Coligny daffodil, 1940 – sweet-scented apricot beauty
Lucifer daffodil, 1890 – heavenly wings, devilish cup
Maximus, Trumpet Major daffodil, 1576 – loved for over 400 years!
Merlin daffodil, 1956 – glowing red-rimmed yellow hearts in pure-white blossoms
Mrs. William Copeland daffodil, 1930 – Mary and Irene’s mother
Niveth daffodil, 1931 – Thalia’s elegant, uptown cousin
Ornatus daffodil, 1870 – earlier blooming pheasant's eye
Polar Ice daffodil, 1936 – too good to let go
Princeps daffodil, 1830 – graceful white and yellow wildling
Romance daffodil, 1959 – our most richly colored “pink”
Rose of May daffodil, 1950 – rose-like shape and fragrance
Rosy Trumpet daffodil, pre-1952 – starry white perianth around a long apricot trumpet
Rustom Pasha daffodil, 1930 – truly orange, sun-proof cup
Seagull daffodil, 1893 – floats like a butterfly, apricot rim
Sir Watkin daffodil, 1868 – one of the all-time greats
Sweet Harmony daffodil, 1956 – striking both in the garden or bouquets
Twin Sisters daffodil, 1597 – aka Loving Couples, Cemetery Ladies
Twink daffodil, 1925 – a classic southern double
White Lady daffodil, 1897 – Victorian lady with a parasol
White Marvel daffodil, 1950 – unique and graceful
Will Scarlett daffodil, 1898 – dazzling groundbreaker
DIVERSE FALL
antique freesia, 1878 – super fragrant naturalizer
Byzantine gladiolus, 1629 – true stock!
Magnet snowdrop, 1889 – “easily recognized, even from a distance”
HYACINTH
Anna Liza hyacinth, 1972 – pink/lavender/mauve and beautiful!
Roman Pink hyacinth, 1573 – wildflowery, pink, and wonderful
Roman White hyacinth, 1597 – the rarest Roman of all
PEONY
Coral Sunset peony, 1965 – Spectacular and uniquely colored!!
Minuet peony, 1931 – ‘Mrs. Roosevelt’s beautiful sister
Philippe Rivoire peony, 1911 – rose-scented legend
Philomele peony, 1861 – fragrant and fascinating
TULIP
Absalon tulip, 1780 – chocolate and chestnut on gold
Archeron tulip, 1913 – strikingly dark garnet and rust
Black and White tulip, 1920 – dark flames on creamy white
Bridesmaid tulip, 1900 – slender cherry and ivory flame
Clara Butt tulip, 1889 – once the world’s favorite
Columbine tulip, 1929 – purple, lace-like tracery
Cottage Maid tulip, 1857 – rose and white sweetheart
Dillenburg tulip, 1916 – wonderfully fragrant
Dom Pedro tulip, 1906 – “undoubtedly the most attractive” brown tulip
Duc de Berlin tulip, 1854 – fragrant and bold
Duc van Tol Red & White tulip, 1750 – early and cheerful
Duc van Tol Red and Yellow tulip, 1595 – ancient, landmark miniature
Duc van Tol Scarlet tulip, 1850 – perfect miniature
Duc van Tol Violet tulip, 1700 – ancient pixie
Duc van Tol Yellow tulip, 1830
Duchesse de Parma tulip, 1820 – much more than red and yellow
Elegans Rubra tulip, 1872 – stark simplicity
George Grappe tulip, 1939 – lovely and late-blooming
Greuze tulip, 1891 – rich, deep purple
Insulinde tulip, 1914 – enjoy its enchanting transformation
James Wild tulip, 1890 – gloriously amber-brown
Je Maintiendrai tulip, 1863 – regal and unusual
Jules Favres tulip, 1913 – fiery chestnut-bronze
Julia Farnese tulip, 1853 – “supremely elegant” broken tulip
Klopstock tulip, 1863 – silky violet-purple
La Harpe tulip, 1863 – named for an early explorer of Texas?
Lac van Rijn tulip, 1620 – ancient crown of purple-red and ivory
Le Mogol tulip, 1913 – rose blushed with bronze
Lord Stanley tulip, 1860 – almost as exciting as the Cup itself!
Mabel tulip, 1856 – barmaid’s delight?
Madras tulip, 1913 – golden-bronze and fragrant
Old Times tulip, 1905 – “garnet and primrose”
Orange King tulip, 1903 – “sweet-scented, a grand tulip”
Pluvia D’Oro tulip, 1925 – sunny, delightful
Prince of Austria tulip, 1860 – fragrant and enduring
Princess Amalia tulip, 1908 – lovely and late
Princess Elizabeth tulip, 1898 – “rose-pink with topaz lights”
Royal Sovereign tulip, 1820 – mahogany on gold
Rubens tulip, 1903 – rare broken
Schoonoord tulip, 1909 – lush and radiant double
The Lizard tulip, 1903 – weird name, cool flower
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