Foliage Follow-up: March emergence.

Just as the flowers have begun to bloom in earnest, so too have the shoots and leaves begun to flush out. It's a time of dramatic change, and one of my favorites along with autumn. So today for Foliage Follow-up, hosted by Pam at Digging, I'm sharing a collection of new leaves and expanding buds.

First, though, some pictures from indoors. As the garden outdoors is still only beginning to wake up, the houseplants are still holding much of my attention, particularly when I'm stuck inside during a surprise thunderstorm dropping hail.

Platycerium veitchii 'Lemoinei' has a thicker coating of grey trichomes than the more common Platycerium bifurcatum. I love watching the fronds expand, fingers lengthening from the tips.

Maranta leuconeura 'Silver Band' is even more stunning than usual, with new growth flushed a purplish  pink. The new leaves are even almost twice as large as the old ones. It must be happy. I like happy plants.

This gorgeous plant is a small form of Iris japonica I picked up when Far Reaches Farms owners, Kelly and Sue, came to Portland last Friday to give a talk about their last trip to China. Those leaves. Wow.

Acanthus syriacus leaves started coming up a month ago, and continue their slow expansion.

Little green candles form in the center of the needle rosettes of Cedrus deodara 'Feelin' Blue'.

New leaves on Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' are emerging orange. They're amazing when backlit by the sun.

My double orange daylily is leagues ahead of the lemon daylilies. They look so lush at this time of year.

One of my tree peony seedlings. This one is planted in the sun and is already breaking dormancy. The one in shade is still closed up tight.

Bright new leaves on Cercocarpus betuloides, a western native shrub or small tree.

In fall, I scattered big leaf maple seeds in several areas. I'm excited to see them coming up. At least, I'm hoping these are Acer macrophyllum, and not from the Acer platanoides in the neighbor's yard. Tiny hairs on the true leaves just emerging from between the cotyledons lead me to believe they're the former.

Heptacodium miconioides started growing in January. Clearly, it's eager for spring.

Aesculus californica seedlings look like tiny palm trees with their umbrella of leaves atop spindly stems.

The sharply pointed green buds of Cornus alternifolia 'Wstackman'  (Golden Shadows), touched with amber, contrast strongly with the dark stems.

New growth on Mahonia x media 'Arthur Menzies'.

Stachyurus praecox 'Sterling Silver'

Clethra barbinervis

The emerging leaves of Iris japonica 'Variegata' sort of remind me of green and white lobster claws.

Robust new shoots on Parahebe perfoliata. I wasn't expecting this plant, added just last year, to start growing so strongly already.

Fuzzy new copper and white leaves emerge on Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen', from the middle of the maroon leaves still hanging on from last year. I'm not a hydrangea person, but I love oakleaf hydrangeas.

Chasmanthium latifolium shoots emerge golden green, with red at the base.

Diervilla rivularis 'SMNDRSF' (yes, much as it pains me, that is the actual cultivar name of Kodiak® Black bush honeysuckle) foliage emerges with a chocolaty tinge.

Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem' shades each leaf with  light green, through silvery green, to pink at the tips. The Carex comans in the backdrop makes for a great companion.

New leaves emerging on Styrax japonica.

My clone of Epimedium sagittatum doesn't impress much in the flower department, but I love the new leaves.

I love the coppery bark and bright green emerging leaves on Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris, growing here up a Douglas fir.

Looking much the same as the northern sea oats at the moment, Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' form a pincushion of new shoots.

I was rather disappointed with Artemisia 'Seafoam' being deciduous, but it's hard to maintain that disappointment with new foliage emerging. Yes, that's hail in the center of the plant. A thunderstorm had just passed over and pelted everything with little chunks of ice. Ten minutes later, it was sunny again. Five minutes after that, another cloud passed over the sun. It must be spring.

Origanum 'Kent Beauty' has an early start this year with the mild winter. It started coming up in January.

Seseli gummiferum is starting to grow bigger leaves after maintaining a tiny rosette atop its stem all winter.

 I'm also linking with Anna at Flutter&Hum today for Wednesday Vignette. I've been enjoying this view essentially all winter, though the allium foliage provides an extra special touch.

Erica arborea 'Estrella Gold', studded with constellations of flower buds, backed by lime thyme, Carex comans, and Allium christophii foliage.

New foliage emerging on this Antennaria, which I've embarrassingly forgotten the name of. I want to say microphylla, but I'm not sure. The label is currently about 60 miles away, as I'm in my Portland phase of the week.

In the greenhouse, some of the new shoots on my Agapetes 'Ludgvan Cross' appear to be variegated with pink. I'm not sure it's a good thing, as there's also an odd white, slightly puffy mottling near the base of these stems. It might be a virus, which would help to explain why this plant occasionally struggles. It's an interesting look, whatever it is.

My favorite fuchsia, Fuchsia 'Autumnale' is grown more for the foliage than for the flowers.

Emerging crosiers on Pteris wallichiana. A few of these may be available at Cistus later this spring and summer. Just sayin'.

Now you can see the emerging leaves on some of my Camassia seedlings!