Meehania cordata (Click to enlarge)

When Thomas Meehan, a Philadelphia Botanist, died in 1901, I'm sure he went to the big forest in the sky feeling proud that Nathaniel Lord Britton (1859-1934), named a genus of plants in his honor. I'd also bet that he didn't now how wonderful his namesake plant was. In fact, most people don't know how wonderful Meehania cordata is. My dear friends Charles and Martha Oliver are the proprietors of the Primrose Path Nursery in Scottdale PA. I'd noticed Meehania cordata listed in their catalog and after reading their description and hearing them extol the virtues about how charming this little plant was, I asked them to please bring me one on their upcoming visit. I had requested one the year before, but it always seemed they were sold out. I was emphatic that I must have one, and intimated should they not bring me one, they may end up sleeping in my barn that chilly Autumn night. Tiarella, Heuchera and Heucherella are the main focus of their breeding program, so we had planned a day of Tiarella hunting in Wolfpen Hollow, a hauntingly mysterious woodland area near my farm. We'd just descended from a summit into the foggy creekbottom when I heard Charles laughing hysterically behind me on the trail. I turned to see what he found so amusing and saw him pointing to the ground. There, all around him, the ground was covered with "Meehans Mint". Talk about getting caught not "practicing what you preach". I, who in all of my lectures on native plants, makes a point of telling people to "look in your own backyard!" Well... after I recovered from my initial embarrassment, we looked further and found the entire West facing slope of the hill down to the creekbed was a veritable carpet of dark, glossy green, cordate, ( heart shaped, hence the specific epithet cordata) leaves. They were vining over rocks and decaying tree limbs, basking in the deep shade of the hemlock and oak woods above the water. I took some cuttings, not knowing whether they would root so late in the season but I had a gut feeling of optimism. Sure enough, they rooted in a matter of weeks. The following Spring, I checked in on the population and found that the new growth was thick and lovely. In June, I went back to observe the flowers and found a sea of lilac, pink and lavender trumpet like blooms at the tips of the stems. They reminded me very much of Scutellaria, another member of the mint family and close relative of Meehania. In my garden, I now having many plants from the rooted cuttings that I overwintered under a dark bench in a greenhouse. This is another testament to the virtues of Meehania is how deep a shade it thrives in. I proceeded to plant them under a small grove of Lilacs and Viburnums and they responded to the rich humus that had accumulated under these older shrubs. Almost immediately started to wind their way around on the ground. Unlike most members of the mint family, Meehania cordata is NOT invasive or aggressive. Taxonomically speaking, Meehania cordata is a member of the Lamiaceae (Mint) family. In North America Meehania cordata is a monotypic (single) species in the genus. Its reported range is from SW PA to NC and TN. Its heart shaped leaves are on the small side, averaging 1-1 1/2 " wide at the petiole and are about 1" long. I suspect that it is hardy to zone 4, maybe even 3. I know of at least one other Meehania species in cultivation, that being Meehania urticifolia, Meehania cordata's Asian cousin. It can be found growing through the woods of the mountain forests in the Honshu area of Japan. The specific epithet urticifolia refers to the nettle like foliage. It's also very easy to propagate from stem cuttings and by division. Meehania cordata is one of the best plants I can think of for those dark and foreboding corners of the garden where there isn't enough light for most other plants. Even if it didn't have the added benefit of the bright colorful flowers, I would recommend it as a very useful groundcover. I've been selling Meehania cordata in 2" treeband ® pots for $7.50 ea plus $9.00 for UPS. Over the last few years, we've really put some effort into building a large stock so as to be able to reduce the price and I'm pleased to tell you that we have succeeded. The prices shown below include FREE SHIPPING on bareroot plants out of their 2" pots. If you would like to receive the plants undisturbed, in their pots, please add .95¢ per plant to cover the extra cost of shipping soil and pots. 7 for $ 35.00 delivered ($5.00 ea) 10 for $ 45.00 delivered ($4.50 ea) 15 for $ 60.00 delivered ($4.00 ea) 20 for $ 70.00 delivered ($3.50 ea) 50 for $150.00 delivered ($3.00 ea) Ordering couldn't be easier! Just download and print our order form and send it along with your check to: Internet Order Department Sunshine Farm & Gardens HC 67 Box 539 B Renick WV 24966 USA