2025 Morton Arboretum Plant Sale - Highlights - May 2025

Last month, I went to the annual Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant sale and was (surprisingly) restrained in what I brought home.  I'll get to posts about each of the perennials (and one vine) as they go in the garden, but I also wanted to share a few things that caught my eye at the sale.  As usual, there's far more at the sale than one could ever imagine planting in their garden.  Due to the conditions in our garden, I was more focused on trees/shrubs and (mostly) shade or part-shade perennials.  

Here are a few things that caught my eye at this year's sale.  

They had Shawnee Brave Bald Cypress trees for just $33.  This is an upright version of the Bald Cypress.  At $33, you might imagine they're pretty small.  But, a super unique tree.

A tree that has been on my 'wish list' for a while noe:  Chamaecyparis Soft Serve - This is the 'Gold' cultivar - which makes it even more unique.  At $25, this is another rare evergreen tree.  But, again...they were pretty small. 

I've been going to the sale for years, but I think this is the first year that I saw Climbing Hydrangeas. $28 for one-gallon containers is pretty good.

Every year I go, I stop by the All Gold Hakonechloa macra grass station.  I bought a few of these this year - for just $19.99.  At the Growing Place, you'll pay more for the same one-gallon nursery container:

Undaunted Muhly Grasses are *already* in our garden.  I planted three of them at the base of the boardwalk in late 2023.  We haven't had one of these fabulous blooms - but the photo sure sells these.  At just $15, it was a great value.  

Something I've seen the past few years and have had on my 'wishlist' is this bi-color iris.  The foliage is what is bi-colored and is super unique:

I have a colony of Astilbes in our backyard shade garden.  Fanal and Maggie Daley.  They're a little finicky when it comes to water, so I've been thinking about Goats Beards as a supplement - as they give that astilbe-look without the drought intolerance.  I should have bought these, but I didn't.  Maybe I can something similar up at Northwind this Summer.  

Godzilla Japanese Painted ferns are something I don't think I've seen at the sale previously.  Why do I think that?  Because...look at the size of these things:  four-to-six-feet spread.  They're HUGE.  I bought three of these. 

Gold Heart Bleeding Heart was in bloom during the sale.  

They had small quart-size containers of a new-to-me Ajuga:  Mahogany Ajuga.  I've been buying Chocolate Chip Ajuga, so I stayed away from this one.  

Last, but certainly...not least is this sign for the Sun King Aralias.  Like last year, I bought these again.  I had six last year and added three this year:

I'll write four separate posts for the plants that I bought - Sun King Aralias, Godzilla Japanese Painted Ferns, All Gold Hakonechloas Macra grasses and a new Climbing Hydrangeas.  I've been waiting for the ground to warm up before putting them in the garden.