The Ghost Briar, also known as Rubus lastiostylus hubeiensis,
is native to the Shennongjia Forest of Western Hubei Province of central
China, and was discovered by the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition. Ghost
Briars are known for their silver-white branches and blood-red thorns. Ideal for
a ghostly garden, the plants look very dramatic in the winter, when there are no
leaves to hide the canes. The canes reflect light as if they glow from within.
Ghost Briar is hardy to USDA Zone 5. For information on obtaining cuttings of
Ghost Briar, write to Rubus, c/o Richard Schulhof, Arnold Arboretum, 125
Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, where growing specimens can be seen. Can you
imagine Ghost Briars shining like liquid silver in the moonlit, shadowy winter
forests of northern China?
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