A Few Unusual Plants!
By: JANA PIRTLE
Even Mercer’s horticulture manager didn’t know about these! by JANA PIRTLE MERCER BOTANIC GARDEN Horticultural Manager (Jana Pirtle photos) Patented plants currently dominate the nursery industry. It’s understandable why. They’re just so cool! They also often come with a higher price. As much as I ohh and ahh over these plants, as a horticulture manager for a non-profit, necessity dictates a more frugal approach in finding plants to grow. Thank goodness for seed companies. With the lower price of seed, I could justify trying a few plants that I have never grown before. And I was pleasantly surprised this year!

PETUNIA EXSARTA is my favorite annual this year. It is the only petunia pollinated by hummingbirds. It is a rare and endangered petunia endemic to the mountains of southern Brazil, where it grows in cracks and crevices near the mouths of caves. In these conditions, the plants are protected from direct sunlight and rainfall. I
