Petit Inventory II – Chinese Podophyllums

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A rainy day, perfect to show my young Chinese Podophyllums: Podophyllum delavayi and P. pleianthum x versipelle. They don’t like the cold very much but surely enjoy the moisture whenever possible.

podophyllum-delavayi

Podophyllum delavayi

The few that I manage to transplant in larger pots in early summer, obviously fared better than the ones left in small ones. This is happening with all rhizomes forming species, which need large pots in order to develop well. Note taken of the ‘thorny’ problem of quantity over quality…

podophyllum-pleianthum-x-versipelle

Podophyllum pleianthum x versipelle

Talking Chinese Podophyllum spp., I have the chance to show a ‘freshly’ taken image with seeds of P. aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule.

podophyllum-aurantiocaule-seeds

Podophyllum aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule seeds

Interesting to see how different the seeds are comparing with others (see in the featured image germinated seeds of P. pleianthum x versipelle). This species belongs to Section Paradysosma and it said that combines the leaf shape of Sect. Dysosma (P. pleianthum, versipelle…) with the floral characters of Sect. Hexandra (P. hexandrum). The seeds are very similar with those of P. hexandrum, that’s for sure.

Looking fw to see the ‘youngsters’ next year!!!

And…I have few seeds to spare for those interested, enter the shop here: Podophyllum aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule

Germination for all: clean the seeds from the fleshy fruits and sow right away (late fall); or place the seeds in cold/moist stratification and sow when they show signs of germination (early spring).

 

My petit inventory

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Fall has officially arrived and I thought it would be wise to start doing what I call my ‘petit inventory’ :) Lots of seeds have been sown this year and many have germinated. As usual, some seedlings have perished, while others have grown well; a few have been planted in the ground, and some are even flowering! (see Iris dichotoma and Scabiosa caucasica).

An inventory always helps me remember what I’ve grown during the year and it adds to the experience. In most cases, the inventory entails only 2-3 plants, or worse, 1 – truly ‘petit’! I will show a few from the alpine section for now.

Few Caucasian species are my joy and pride: Potentilla divina, Astragalus levieri and Eremogone lichnidea.

potentilla-divina

Potentilla divina – a bit difficult to grow, I hope to get it through the winter

astragalus-levieri

Astragalus levieri – a high altitude species, easy to germinate but usually hard to establish; the young seedling was planted in the ground in May

eremogone-lichnidea

Eremogone lichnidea – another new species, I left them as they were in the seeding pot (some alpines react well to this treatment)

As well other species, like Silene jailensis and Paronychia cephalotes, have exceeded my expectations. I also have good hope to finally see the alpine thistle – Carlina acaulis, established in the rockery (seen in the Silene background).

silene-jailensis

Silene jailensis (a Crimean collection) – seedling planted early outside

paronychia-cephalotes

Paronychia cephalotes – another new one, the seedlings were looking so nice that I was afraid to prick them out and planted the whole seedlings pot in the ground.

As you notice, I have continued my experiment of planting asap very young seedlings in the ground, and it has proven again to be the better way to go, at least for me. They can have the roots going deep down fast and establish well throughout the season, while the ones left in pots are more difficult to manage water-wise, plus that the pots are not deep enough for their liking.

In the feature image: Artemisia umbelliformis (Alpine wormwood), another little alpine gem I’m happy to see doing well.

Next to come – the Chinese Podophyllum babies from the shady section!

The reproductive syndrome and Iris dichotoma

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Iris dichotoma flowers, the Vesper Iris, formerly Pardanthopsis, open ‘religiously’ in the afternoon around 4 pm. By late evening, they are already withered. Nonetheless they are beautiful and it is exciting to watch. It makes you wonder – why the short period of flowering?

Iris dichotoma2

According with an article from the Journal of Experimental Botany: “flower opening and closure are traits of a reproductive syndrome, as it allows pollen removal/and or pollination”. Although a peculiar species, the vesper iris is not given as an example in the study.

Iris dichotoma

Iris dichotoma – first year flowering from seeds; super easy to grow

Those interested can read about the mechanism of opening and closure, carbohydrate metabolism, hormonal regulation and more here – Flower opening and closure: a review, Wouter G. van Doorn, Uulke van Meeteren.

Note on Vesper
In many Christian denominations, vespers is the name used for the evening prayer service. From Greek ‘hespera’ and Latin ‘vesper’ = evening.

 

One more for the collection!

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Gentiana cachemirica

As it happens, species that flower successively over a long period of time will often have the first seeds ‘ready’ while still in bloom. Last evening, ahead of another front of thundershowers, I had a look around the garden and, you don’t say, I found the first seed capsules of Gentiana cachemirica!

Not often cultivated and often misnamed in the trade, this is an alpine gentian endemic from Pakistan and Kashmir (hence the proclaimed common name of Kashmir gentian).  Let’s see it again:

Gentiana cachemirica - flower open

Gentiana cachemirica

It flowers in late summer, starting in late July-August (don’t believe the ones saying it’s a spring flowering gentian), it has a decumbent habit (best to have it flowing over a wall or on the rockery slope, if possible) and enjoys a part shaded position. It grows from thickened rhizomes and it is long lived after established.

There are other plants flowering in the garden, of course, most notably Clematis heracleifolia ‘China Purple’, a gentle reminder of the slide towards late August //:-o

Clematis heracleifolia 'China Purple'

Clematis heracleifolia ‘China Purple’

 

The year of the thistle – update

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At the beginning the year I declared 2016 as The Year of the Thistle, including in this category besides the ‘true thistles’ (Cirsium, Carduus and Onopordum), other genera that don’t have spiny leaves/or are commonly called thistles (Jurinea, Centaurea, Carthamus, Carlina, Rhaponticum, Echinops…).
I wasn’t joking. Some of the new tried out species are doing fine and are already planted out – Berkheya, Jurinea sordida, Carlina acaulis. Probably Centaurea triumfettii would have also flowered if not transplanted too late.

But, another one, a true thistle is flowering! Cirsium canum, in its second year from seeds, proves out to be a most wonderful plant. Everything, from the silvery, bold foliage to the neat, globular flower buds and the soft flower heads continuously foraged by some pollinator – it’s just perfect!

Cirsium canum foliage

Cirsium canum – An architectural thistle with silver-green foliage and purple flowers from late summer to fall; it will remain in a clump and therefore it can be safely grown in the garden for the delight of the pollinators :)

I wish I had more seedlings! A full sun position suits it very well. In the wild habitat it grows in somehow moist meadows and I think it would like a bit more moisture than it has, but it has fared well so far with very little watering.

Cirsium canum flower head

Cirsium canum flower head

There are so many more such species to try…

Centaurea triumfettii ssp. stricta

Carlina acaulis

Jurinea sordida

American lotus

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Nelumbo lutea

A bit of a surprise – there is a lotus that grows wild in Ontario! It is found only towards the extreme southern part of the province, and according to wiki it was introduced in various regions by the Native Americans who carried it along with them as a food source (the tuber). It is fully hardy to zone 5, as long as the water is deep enough and the roots won’t freeze.

Nelumbo lutea foliage

Nelumbo lutea foliage; yellow flowers in late summer

In warmer regions it is quite a colonizer and also called water-chinquapin. Supposedly, it is the largest native wildflower, at least in wetlands, its leaves reaching more than 60 cm in diameter! The seeds are surely among the largest too!

Nelumbo lutea seeds

Nelumbo lutea seeds – 1 mm grid

I cannot abstain from trying to germinate a couple of these seeds. They need to be scarified or nicked and should germinate in water after +/- 2 weeks. For scarification you can use sandpaper or, for large seeds like these, a file. When scarifying the question is always – how much of the seed coat should be removed? It varies from species to species but the general rule is: ‘less is more’. When done well, the seeds will slightly enlarge in a few days; if not, they can be easily scarified some more.

I am sure everyone knows that lotus seeds can remain viable for several decades, given their extremely hard seed coats, so most probably I didn’t file them enough. My short nails, have gotten even shorter.

UPDATE – July 20, the seedlings were planted :)

Hot Corydalis

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It was hot today (felt like 38C!) and I noticed the delicate Rock harlequin (Capnoides sempervirens) flowering. I must say, the colours are just perfect to describe such a fiery day!

Capnoides sempervirens

Capnoides sempervirens

It was sown successively from late winter to spring and older seedlings are the first to start flowering now; a few are still growing up. The key to success with this biennial Corydalis (and also some of the perennials) is to plant it in different spots of the garden and, fingers crossed it will reseed and take care of itself afterwards.

If someone noticed, I call it first Corydalis and then I wrote it as Capnoides. Corydalis spp. used to bear the same name. And then, as it happens, few names have changed. I always hesitate: should I write the older name or the ‘new’ one. Many people will always call them Corydalis (and so do I, privately ;)

To resolve the situation, I made a new category for the seeds shop – Corydalis & all, where they can live happily together…

In charge – Corydalis nobilis

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In preparation of going away for a little while, I looked around today to see who would remain in charge of the garden and the seedlings…The first ones asked found excuses of being busy flowering, setting seeds, or putting up new growth.

So, I had to appoint by force the lord of the garden – Corydalis nobilis. You will hardly find a more reliable, resilient and fair garden fellow. From its corner location it can easily survey the whole garden, including the youngster Cory (from seed) which is flowering for the first time.

Corydalis nobilis

Corydalis nobilis

I read somewhere (most probably in an AGS Journal) about an old, neglected garden where C. nobilis had taken hold of and was growing everywhere like a weed. It can maybe happen in time; say 30 years from now on.
Sounds like a good plan…

And a few May pictures: new and older plants establishing together, Aquilegia canadensis- short form in the sun-rockery (in the making), and… lots of seedlings :) On to the seed adventures at full steam!

Iris ‘Concertina’

Paris quadrifolia

Stylophorum diphyllum

Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’

Aquilegia canadensis – short form

Seedlings

Belle of the ball – Calycanthus

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I am known to be on the lookout for promising ballerinas (see Arisaema and Primula –rina)… This year my eyes were drawn by the Carolina allspice seedlings. Surely there is great promise; I just don’t know if in the ballet because after the first stage the twirled cotyledons have rapidly put on some weight ;) but there are other genres to try out…

The belle of the ball in the germinatrix: Calycanthus floridus seedlings with convoluted cotyledons (which are rarely seen in other species):

Calycanthus floridus seedlings

Calycanthus floridus convoluted cotyledons

Calycanthus floridus with first true leaves

Calycanthus floridus seedlings with the first true leaves

This is an excerpt from the shop about Carolina allspice and I have nothing else to add:
“Calycanthus floridus is a deciduous shrub with glossy, aromatic foliage that can grow to about 3-4 m high, and the same or more in width. Remarkable when in flower; it has fragrant, red-wine coloured, and many petaled flowers that look a bit like Magnolia flowers; very attractive for pollinators too.
It is a very adaptable shrub that can grow from sun to shade, in almost any type of soil, and is very resistant to pests. A really trouble-free shrub for any garden; on my list of ‘to do it for myself”…

Done!

Calycanthus floridus seeds - nicked and soaked before to sowing

Calycanthus floridus seeds – nicked and soaked prior to sowing

One month later

Say cheese!

Arisaema triphyllum seedlings

Arisaema triphyllum seedlings

My morning routine of checking the germinatrix revealed that all Arisaema seedlings (triphyllum, flavum and consanguineum) will be 1 month-old tomorrow (counting since sowing). Time goes by so fast!

I said it before but better to repeat – start Arisaema as early as you can, water plenty and they will have an extended season of growth (i.e. bigger tubers). This way, they can start flowering in the third year.

Note: all species mentioned are fast, warm germinators.

What’s for sowing today?

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The lights were ‘fired up’ for a few impatient germinators and I started to sow more of the warm germinators. When it’s cold and drab outside there is really no other better thing than sowing and placing the little pots under the lights! I wasn’t thinking of sowing more Arisaema this year (I swear!), but as it happens I got a fairly large seed stock from someone :), and since I have plans for a little colony of this lovely Arisaema flavum, why wait?

A. flavum is not as impressive as other Arisaema spp. but it has a certain charm when the little yellow flowers are peeking from between the nice shoe-shaped leaves. Variable as height and spathe colour, it has female and male flowers on the same plant, and thus the red fruit will extend the garden décor into the fall. A. flavum ssp. abbreviatum is not recognized anymore as a subspecies, but there is a new one – ssp. tibeticum J. Murata. Most often the spathe colour is pure yellow or yellow with brown streakings.

Arisaema flavum

Arisaema flavum

No less important is the fact that it is one of the few ‘foreign’ Arisaema reliable for our climate. Its large native distribution, from W. Himalaya, S. Tibet and W. China to Afghanistan and Yemen, shows how adaptable is. It is certainly an alpine Arisaema, found growing wild in sunny, open places from 1700m to 3000 m altitude.

It germinates fairly quickly, and like most Arisaema sp. I tried, if started early, it puts up a nice growth under the lights, and you will obtain bigger/flowering tubers in a shorter period of time. Mature tubers also offset well, so it is easy to keep it going and even share it with friends.

Arisaema flavum seeds

Arisaema flavum seeds

The more we grow from seeds, the more interesting forms for the garden!

Note: I also sowed some of our native A. triphyllum to keep it company :)

The purple bloom maple – Acer pseudosieboldianum

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A short interruption from the thistles to draw a bit of attention to the purple bloom maple (more often called Korean maple). This small tree is native to Manchuria, Korea and around Vladivostok/Russia, where it grows on rocky forested slopes. In the gardens it is best grown in full sun to light shaded locations.

Acer pseudosieboldianum is one of the very few safe options for colder climates (to zone 4) to enjoy the look-alike of a graceful Japanese maple and the brilliant fall foliage (usually red, but also orange-yellow).

Acer pseudosieboldianum

Acer pseudosieboldianum fall coloration

It is very similar to the Japanese A. sieboldianum (another rarely seen maple), both having a nice layered habit; however, the purple bloom maple has hairy new growth and purple flowers. If you live in a colder area or know someone who does, give a try to this wonderful, hardy species. Also suitable for bonsai forming, which means that with skillful pruning, one could ‘create’ nice forms for the rockery and small gardens.

A few cold/moist stored seeds (nutlets actually) are available in the shop; some will be ready to germinate with the spring arrival, some may take their time, be patient…

Click on this LINK to see a spectacular specimen of Acer pseudosieboldianum, and as well A. sieboldianum and quite few others Japanese maples (from Wespelaar Arboretum, Antwerp – Belgium).