Sunday November 9th, their is only one place you need to be in this world and that is Mitchell Hall at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Symposium is going to be off the hook this year. Illahe Rare Plants is bringing out some unbelievable, choice, and rare alpine plants to be raffled off. Want to learn how to grow Rosulate Violets and Dionysias in North America and maybe even add one to your collection? We will be sharing some of those tips and tricks along with the sharing the story of how we are building a premier Alpine and Rock garden nursery with a design of efficiency, sustainability, and a science-based focus on cultivation to keep these wonderful plants available into the future.

Learn about cultivating Rosulate Violets and maybe even win one in a raffle!

Click here to register and to get more details: RMC Symposium

Check out this schedule. It’s a packed lineup of amazing and talented speakers. This is a symposium not to be missed!

8:00 Doors open – Coffee and treats available

8:30 Chapter business meeting
8:00 – 9:00 Meet and Greet
9:00 – 9:15 Announcements and Introduction
9:15 – 10:00 Adam Black — Plant Exploration: The Passion and the Insanity
Bringing plants into cultivation can serve many purposes, including the benefits of increasing urban landscape biodiversity as well as preserving the genetics of species of conservation concern in safe sites. Plant exploration has many ethical, legal, natural, and physical challenges to navigate, but ultimately it is a necessary endeavor that seems to be taken on only by a small collaborative group of the most passionate, adventurous plant nerds who bridge the gap between the fields of botany and horticulture. Join one of these geeks as he chronicles the various exhilarating adventures, unexpected complications, and comical situations he has encountered in both far-flung regions of the world as well as the surprisingly under-explored regions of the US where there are still adventures to be had and significant plant discoveries to be made.
10:30-11:15 Morgan Cannon – Plants in Cool Places
Restoration in the Teton Range: From Sagebrush to High Alpine Environments: This presentation explores ongoing plant conservation work in Grand Teton National Park, from the sagebrush steppe to the park’s highest alpine ecosystems. Morgan will share insights from monitoring intact and disturbed sagebrush habitats, as well as a re-piloted program focused on sensitive alpine plants and whitebark pine (a keystone species in the region). By examining how these unique sites respond to disturbance and climate pressures, this work helps inform broader strategies for climate adaptation and ecosystem resilience across the Mountain West.
11:15-12:30 Lunch
12:30- 12:45 Announcements
12:45-1:30 Laura Swain — A journey from Erica to Echinocereus
Hear her story of transitioning from an east-coast-native-plant-nut to a rock hounding gardener of the west and how she is bringing a fresh eye to some well-established gardens. Come along on a botanical journey – from the ericaceous coast of New England, through limestone outcrops of the Eastern Plains, over Pike’s Peak granite in the high alpine, and to the otherworldly canyons of the Colorado Plateau – join Laura as she shares her enthusiasm for new plants in new places.
2:00-2:45 Mark Akimoff — Illahe Rare Plants: Preserving Alpine Beauty for Future Generations
At a time when more nurseries are closing than opening, Illahe Rare Plants in Salem, Oregon stands as both a refuge for alpine and rock garden plants and a model for how specialty nurseries can adapt to a changing world. This keynote will share the journey of building and sustaining a rare plant nursery in the Willamette Valley, with an eye toward the challenges of shifting demographics, climate pressures, and the future of horticulture.We will look at how Illahe balances preservation with innovation and a science driven approach to cultivation—curating mountain flora for changing gardens, cultivating resilience in collections, and fostering a new generation of enthusiasts. Far more than a place of commerce, the nursery aims to become a living archive and a gathering point for community. This address will explore how small, dedicated nurseries like Illahe can remain vital and inspiring in times of transition and change.
3:15 Symposium over
3:00 – 5:00 Reception (TBD)

Read Panayoti Kelaidis write up about the symposium and sign up for his amazing horticultural blog here: https://prairiebreak.blogspot.com/2025/10/dr-bulb-comes-to-town-better-not-miss.html

Come and learn about cultivating Dionysia and maybe win one in the raffle!

We hope to see you in Denver! Don’t miss out on this fantastic symposium, where you are sure to walk away with a head full of knowledge and if that isn’t enough, check out the vendors that will be attending with super cool plants and seeds:

Mike Barbour selling a variety of hard-to-find treasures.

Kelly Grummons selling a variety of cacti and succulents.
Justin and Christin Ruiz of Desert Blooms selling water-wise plant selections.
Alan Bradshaw of ALPLAINS will have a nice selection of seed for sale.
The RMC purchased two flats of Illahe Rare Plants Alpine and Rock Garden treasures from Mark Akimoff for a free raffle. We will be raffling off these plants all day – 64 winners!

One lucky winner is going home with a clone of this amazing succulent Viola cotyledon!

We hope to see you in Denver for this not to be missed event!

Illahe Shop Updates:

The full catalog is up for archival purposes. You can research and dream about what the spring will have to offer and we will always be adding more unique and special plants.

With the coming of November we are limiting shipping to only collection boxes. These are a great value and think of them as the chef’s surprise of the rock gardening world as we pick out and curate a selection of plants for you at a discount. You can always tell us your preferences and garden style in the form at checkout and we will do our best to curate it for you. Please keep in mind that this time of year brings inclement weather that can cause shipping delays and order accordingly to your risk level. Click here to order: Illahe Catalog

Rainy, windy, soggy, and blustery Saturday here at illahe. Good time to stay inside and prep for the oncoming darkness of daylight savings. Ughhhhh, spring will come again.

See you in Denver!

Mark

Come and see us in Denver!

Last Chance for Plants