A couple weeks back I trekked down to visit friends at Little Prince of Oregon Nursery (LPO). It was cool and sunny when I left home, but it turned quite foggy as I neared the nursery, that helped lend a slightly spooky atmosphere around these one-eyed monsters outside the office…
And the large slumped gunnera leaves looked even more other-worldly.
Trucks were coming and going, I always love seeing the business side of the nursery industry.
The last time I was here (in March) this area was still mainly houseplants, and before that, in August of 2024 it was almost completely houseplants. However, since houseplant demand has shifted, LPO has pivoted too and now this large climate-controlled space is devoted to growing on plugs (plug = a small plant with a root system that’s grown in an individual cell of a large tray, at LPO plugs can be a mix of plants from tissue culture, cuttings, and seed).
Plugs like these! Agave plugs.
I may have squealed when I saw this flat, agave roses!
Mike Hicks (Production Manager) said they’re Agave ‘Blue Glow’ Compacta… what does that even mean, right? Well, ‘Blue Glow’ is a cross between Agave attenuata and A. ocahui and these little cuties are said to be a smaller and more “refined” version of that.
There’s Mike himself picking out a few plugs of a particularly nice Epiphyllum.
Next we were off to see a new Schefflera, S. ‘Mateo’, pretty fabulous right? Sadly it’s probably not hardy here in Portland.
They’re looking a little tired because they were just planted up after making the trip to LPO as cuttings.
I asked Mike how long that trip took and was surprised to learn just a few days. Cut on a Saturday, flown to the U.S. via commercial airliner, and at the nursery and potted up by Wednesday, assuming everything goes as planned. Also there are such things as “cutting farms”… acres of plants grown to harvest cuttings from.
They’re so fabulous! I got a few of these from LPO last March and my plants are doing great, unlike the single overpriced plant I bought from a Seattle-area houseplant retailer a couple years back (D.E.A.D.).
Speaking of ferns…
Adiantum peruvianum (not hardy here in Portland).
And be still my heart, Pyrrosia lingua by the hundreds!
Pyrrosia lingua ‘Undulata’, a tongue fern with slightly undulating margins.
Mike and Ann…
When I (and several blogging friends) visited LPO in 2017 they were up to 70 greenhouses, now they have almost 90, and over 40 employees. Every time I’m there I learn more about the business side of horticulture, it’s wonderful to spend time somewhere that feels a little like family.
There were many exciting young ferns to ogle, like Blechnum tabulare.
And Blechnum occidentale.
Exciting news for lovers of dryland ferns, LPO is growing a crop of Cheilanthes lanosa.
And Cheilanthes argentea.
Done with the ferns, it was off to the Winter Jewels Hellebore stock house. When I asked why the plants were now in such ginormous containers Ann shared that she and Margaret (Growing Supervisor) recently potted them all up (no small job) to keep the roots cooler. Our warming summers make for unhappy roots in smaller containers. Later this got me thinking about a couple hellebores here at home that I have in fairly small metal containers. Hmm…
There was another Hellebore house to visit, but enroute we swung by to check out the baby carnivorous plants. Tiny Pinguicula already covered with insects…
Itty bitty Nepenthes and Dionaea muscipula.
Pitchers the size of my pinky fingernail.
And flytraps smaller than a fly.
More Hellebores! If you attended the Hellebore Open House last March this is where the plants for sale were staged.
Between now and then though all that old foliage, and early blooms (this one is ‘Red Sapphire’) have to be cut back.
Like this…
That’s part of what I meant when I wrote I enjoyed learning more about the business side of horticulture. There’s nothing glamourous about cutting back hundreds of plants, but it must be done.
Pyrrosia lingua ‘Undulata’, my Pyrrosia obsession has been fueled. This one is as hardy as the straight P. lingua, and it’s got that gorgeous wavy edge.
My Cheilanthes argentea population has now doubled. Yay!
Mike pulled a few plugs for me, Asarum maximum ‘Ling Ling’.
Look at the roots on those tiny little plants!
Bergenia ‘Ripple Effect’, so named for the wavy leaf margin.
A trio of Epiphyllum (I didn’t get the species name).
And yes, I ended up with a couple of those Agave ‘Blue Glow’ Compacta.
As for the rest of my haul… Agaves. Lots of Agaves. These plants have gotten too large for LPO to offer on their wholesale availability and I was happy to give them a loving home…
Another Agave victoriae reginae ‘Huasteca Canyon’, Agave chazaroi, two Agave bracteosa ‘Calamar’, Agave stricta ‘Nana’, and Agave schidigera.
The Agave bracteosa are for sure hardy here, and some of the others I may experiment with come spring.
Oh and in case you’re wondering, yes, there really were five Agave victoriae reginae ‘Huasteca Canyon’. Just look at how different they all are, those markings! I’m in love…
