Prosartes lanuginosa

Description

Formerly named Disporum, this is the only Prosartes species growing wild in S. Ontario and is quite rare.

Easily recognized by its graceful habit with usually 3 branching stems ending with 1-2 cream flowers (despite the name yellow mandarin) in late spring, followed by bright red/orange fruits in the fall. I am partial to all Prosartes/Disporum, so I had to grow it when I first found few seeds.

Germination: fresh seeds need to be sown in early fall (these seeds do not keep well in moist storage; are sent double packed) and the pots kept outdoors to allow the natural variations in temperature: slightly warm (fall) – cold (winter). Like with all other seedlings from Liliaceae, they should be grown in the same pot for 2 (3), before transplanting when dormant in bigger pots or in the ground. Otherwise, it is not difficult to grow and adapts well to garden conditions.