Plant Collector: Lepidozamia peroffskyana
Lepidozamia peroffskyana - an Australian cycad
Difficult name, I know, but this plant does not appear to have a common name. It is a cycad and one native to Australia at that. Some mistake it for a palm because it grows a trunk and sprouts it leaves in a palm-like habit, fountaining from the top as it matures. Those leaves can be up to 3 metres long, which is extremely large when you think about it. But it is a cycad which is an entirely different plant family to palms. This particular plant is a seedling from a mature specimen we have and I photographed it because of its spectacular cone which has split open in a wonderful spiral. This split is to release its pollen, rather than to create a perfect pattern.
Lepidozamia peroffskyana cone
Normally we remove cones to stop the plant putting its energies into trying to set seed. It is suspected that forming the cone robs the plant of too many essential micro nutrients which can lead to yellow banding disfiguring mature leaves. It looks like sunburn. Our mature plant suffered badly in the past from this yellowing but it is still a little early for us to be able to state with confidence that de-coning it solves the problem, though it is looking hopeful.
This is an east coast rainforest plant from northern New South Wales through to Gympie in Queensland (I have been to Gympie though I cannot say I recall seeing lepidozamia there). In our conditions, it will tolerate light frosts and cooler temperatures overall. The natural rainforest habitat gives an indication that it likes fertile soils rich in humus, growing in company and in ground that never dries out. I had to go searching to find out for whom this plant was named – Count Peroffsky, a Russian nobleman and benefactor of the St Petersburgh Botanic Garden where this plant was first cultivated beyond its natural habitat. First in gets dibs on the naming rights even now.
First published in the Waikato Times and reproduced here with their permission.
Plant Collector: Ulmus elegantissima “Jacqueline Hillier”
Ulmus (should that be elegantissima, minor or x hollandica?) "Jacqueline Hillier"
It’s an elm but from there on there seems to be some debate. We received it under the species classification of elegantissima. The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs lists it under the species name of minor with elegantissima added as a synonym. A quick net search and I see others now list it as Ulmus x hollandica which is a natural hybrid of minor and glabra. In other words, nobody knows for certain so we will stick with Hillier’s own classification.
The reason nobody knows for certain is that it was found in a garden in Birmingham in the early 1960s and it was visibly different. Most elms are renowned as handsome, large trees, though they have suffered hugely in the UK and Europe since the 1970s from a major outbreak of Dutch Elm disease which kills them. “Jacqueline Hillier” is smaller growing. In fact it came to us under the descriptor of dwarf. It has tiny, sawtooth leaves and very fine tracery of branch structure whereby the leaves are held in fan shapes. This means it is extremely attractive when it is a bare skeleton in winter. It is delightful when flushed with bright spring growth and it is lovely and lush in summer until the predations of the red spider sometimes defoliate it.
Dwarf it is not. I planted a specimen in our rockery where it set out to prove it belongs to the large shrub category. We have to keep working on it extensively every year to keep it down to about 3 metres x 3 metres. It also seeds and suckers but not in a dangerous way. Had I realised it would grow to that size, I would have planted it somewhere with more space – but I would definitely still have planted it.
First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.
Plant Collector – Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae - just one of the more special pines
The pine tree family is a great deal more extensive than the common radiata pine we know so well in this country. Perhaps it is because the timber tree is such a widespread and drearily predictable planting that we tend to take little note of the other 100 or so species in the group. The beautiful Pinus montezumae is a case in point. It comes from Mexico and into Central America (think Guatemala) though usually growing in areas with some altitude which cools temperatures. Despite this origin, the Montezuma is hardy for our New Zealand conditions.
What sets the Montezuma Pine apart as a specimen tree is its very long needles which give the appearance of a pendulous or spreading habit of growth. The needles can be 25cm or even more, whereas most pine needles are in the 10 to 15cm range. Because they are so long, they appear to curve and drape themselves in a most elegant manner. They are also of what is called glaucous hue. This simply means they are toned to a bluish-grey in colour, not the forest green we associate with common pines.
You do need space. It will make a large tree, over 30 metres or more so it is not one for the back yard. As with all the pine family, it likes open, sunny conditions. It is not a forest or woodland tree. What about the pine plantations, you may ask. They are planted at the same time and at prescribed spacings which allows equal sun to all the plants. A plantation is different to a forest. With hindsight, I would plant the Montezuma in splendid glory all on its own. We have a few lower, evergreen shrubs beneath ours and they tend to look a bit scruffy when the falling needles catch in their foliage. At least keep underplanting deciduous for easier grooming.
First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.
Plant Collector: Rhododendron diaprepes
Flowering in the height of summer - R. diaprepes
A rhododendron flowering in late January? Yes, and a big, fragrant white one at that. It is something of a visual surprise each time I look at the curved border of rhododendrons, all resolutely green with their spring foliage still fresh and bright. There, in their midst, is a large plant flowering freely.
Big buds open to big fragrant flowers - R. diaprepes
R. diaprepes is one of the Rhododendron fortunei group. Any plant which bears a variation of the word fortune in its name has been named, and in most cases was first collected by, one of Britain’s foremost plant collectors – Robert Fortune. He was also responsible for getting tea out of China and into British control in India but that is another story. However, it was not he who collected R. diaprepes from the Yunnan area of China. It was found later. He did collect the species, R. fortunei which has a sub species in the form of R. decorum (which flowers earlier and is a little smaller than diaprepes but otherwise similar). Then R. decorum has a subspecies in the form of diaprepes. Got that? Our rhododendron is a sub sub species (or ssp). It probably does not matter unless you are into the botany and taxonomy of rhododendrons.
R. diaprepes has big flowers, big buds, big leaves and is several metres high. Although it has a little thrip (which is what causes silver foliage), it is not too bad in that department and overall, the foliage is pretty clean and healthy. This is a collector’s rhododendron. The chances of finding it offered for sale these days are probably zero in this country. It is a good reason to learn how to do your own propagation if you want the unexpected delight and fragrance of such a late flowering cultivar in your own garden.
First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.
Plant Collector: The golden-rayed lily of Japan (Lilium auratum)
The wonderfully fragrant auratum lily hybrids - hybridising and raising from seed keeps the plants healthy and reduces problems with virus
The golden-rayed lily of Japan – what a beautifully evocative common name. We grow quite a few lilies here but it is the auratum hybrids that are the mainstay of our summer garden. These are the results of decades of breeding, first by Felix Jury and now by Mark. This particular pink one is a pleasing new selection from that breeding programme. There is no commercial gain in breeding these auratums. The aim is to extend the colour range and vigour so they perform better as plants in our own garden as well as keeping them free of virus, which is common. We also prefer outward facing flowers (rather than the upward facing blooms used in floristry) because that gives more protection from the weather.
The hybrids are bigger and showier than the species. This flower is over 30cm across so not for the shy or retiring gardener. The species are predominantly white with yellow or red streaks and crimson spotting. Hybridising extends that colour range into pure whites, white with dominant yellow markings, reds and pinks. We also want strong growing plants that can hold themselves up without needing to be staked every year and which will keep performing under a regime of benign neglect (which means digging and dividing every decade, not every second year). We grow them both in sun and on the woodland margins – wherever there are reasonable light levels, good drainage and soil rich in humus.
Auratums are offered for sale as dormant bulbs from time to time but they don’t like being dried out and dessicated so try and find ones which are plump and firm.
Saving the best for last: oh, the fragrance. The auratum lilies are one of the flowers I cut to bring indoors. A single stem has multiple blooms and can scent a large room all by itself. I remove the pollen which will stain everything it falls upon.
First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.
Plant Collector: Cyanella capensis
Cyanella capensis - described by Mark as appearing like a blue gypsohila in the garden
There is some debate as to whether this plant is accurately named as Cyanella capensis and whether that is in fact synonymous with Cyanella hyacinthoides, but there is no doubt that it has been a quiet star in the rockery for nigh on two months now. Many bulbs are a wonderful, quick, seasonal flash. Plants like the cyanella which just keep going week after week are considerably rarer.
The “capensis” part of the name gives a clue – South African again, from the Cape Province. It is not a big show-stopper. Like some of the species gladiolus and the ixias, the foliage starts to die off and look scruffy as the flowers open but in this case, the flowers have continued long after the foliage has withered away and disappeared. Each six petalled flower is about 15mm across, lilac blue with golden stamens and masses of them just dance on the leafless branch structure, reminiscent of a blue gypsophila.
We have had this cyanella in the rockery for many years now. I have ferreted around looking for the bulbs to spread further afield but clearly they are of the type which can find its own depth and in this case, that is deep. I have failed to find them. Apparently they are edible and somewhat oniony in flavour, also used in times past as a poultice, so they must be a reasonable size. I may have to have another dig to see. The flowers are pollinated by bees and can set viable seed.
There are different species of cyanella – about seven in fact – and we were given the yellow form, Cyanella lutea but it failed to last the distance with us.
First printed in the Waikato Times and reproduced here with their permission.
Plant Collector: Hydrangea Libelle
Hydrangea Libelle
Were we to host garden weddings here (which we will not), I would be targeting white hydrangeas for easy care summer display in semi shaded areas. The compact white moptop Immaculata is very, very good but perhaps just a little clichéd in a bridal sense. Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Libelle’ is looking equally good this week.
Libelle is a large grower. This plant is well over two metres even though I prune it every winter and it is growing in competition with an adjacent tall hedge. Its flower heads are appropriately large and abundant. It is a lacecap which means it has a flat head. The true flowers are the small blue clusters in the centre. The outer rim of large, white individual flowers are sterile (which means they do not set seed) and technically they are sepals. The blue and white contrast is a very clean and attractive combination. Later in the season, the white will turn to pink tones in that olde-fashioned antique colour range that hydrangeas do so well.
Hydrangeas are a wonderfully obliging plant family that is often taken for granted. But after the unrelenting rains of last week, when pretty much every other bloom was sodden and disintegrating, the hydrangea flower heads just serenely continued as if nothing would bother them. They can last for a long time on the bush and make a splendid cut flower as well.
First published in the Waikato Times and reproduced here with their permission.
Plant Collector – Sprekelia formosissima
The Sprekelia formosissima or Jacobean lily
You learn something every day. This bulb is what is commonly known as the Jacobean Lily, even though it has nothing to do with the Jacobeans and it is not a lily. For years I have freely tossed the descriptor around, “it resembles a Jacobean lily”, thinking more of William Morris textile design than botany. And all the time, there is a wide level of agreement internationally that the Jacobean lily is Sprekelia formosissima. Added to that, when a species name is formasana or formasanum, it usually means that the plant comes from the former island of Formosa (now Taiwan). But the unwieldy formosissima means, loosely, beautiful. In fact it comes from Mexico.
It is indeed a beautiful flower with its rich red strappy petals and elegant form. A member of the amaryllis family, it is closely related to hippeastrums. It grows on quite a tall stem, around 30cm, with just a single flower per stem but fairly long lived. Aside from the genuine lilies, there aren’t a lot of bulbs that flower in early to mid summer. It is not particularly rare but it is one of those collectors’ items that is getting ever harder to source with the shrinking plant range offered for sale these days. If you find a plant with seed, it germinates easily when fresh.
As with all bulbs, the sprekelia likes well drained, friable soils and good light levels. It can get attacked by bulb fly (as can the hippeastrums) so we go for the woodland margins to outwit the sun-loving bulb fly. Despite its Mexican origins, sprekelia is regarded as half hardy which means that it can tolerate cool conditions and light frosts.
First published in the Waikato Times and reproduced here with their permission.
Plant Collector: Tetracentron sinense
Tetracentron sinense
The Tetracentron sinense growing in our park is a pretty special tree for us. We rate it as a small tree – after five decades it is still only about six metres high and with a graceful, arching habit of growth. It is deciduous and the fresh spring growth emerges pink which seems appropriate for heart shaped leaves, but only briefly before it turns green, though keeping the red stems.
Sinense means it comes from China, on the western reaches where it borders with Nepal. It is a relatively late discovery, dating to 1901. As far as is known, there are no other members of the Tetracentron family (which makes it monotypic – meaning one of a kind). Our tree grew from seed collected in the 1950s. Frank Kingdon-Ward (often incorrectly referred to as Kingdom Ward) was an intrepid British plant collector and, like many of his forbears, financed some of his expeditions by selling subscriptions in return for seed. Mark’s father, Felix Jury, subscribed though we don’t know now how much he contributed. He received the tetracentron and a rhus which we could have done without.
It flowers in summer with relatively insignificant yellow catkins, though loved by bees. In our climate we don’t get autumn colour and I can’t find any mention in the literature so I would guess nobody else does either. I did find wildly varied accounts of its ultimate size – up to 40 metres in fact which is enormous. I can’t think that our specimen, rated by international experts who have seen it as a large example, is ever going to get to that stature. However it is apparently rare in the wild (sightings are recorded) so perhaps the heights are more a case of guesstimates.
First published in the Waikato Times and reproduced here with their permission.
Plant Collector – Higo Iris
Remarkable seedling variation in the Higo Iris
We are particularly delighted with the Higo irises at the moment, all 700 of them which are in small pots in the nursery awaiting planting out. These are often called the Japanese water iris because they are happy to live in pretty soggy situations.
Unravelling the family tree of Higo is not straightforward. Japanese water iris all descend from I.ensata but around 500 years of breeding has seen different strains developed – Edo, Higo and Ise. Many of these hybrids resulted from a search for perfection in a single bloom, to be brought indoors and contemplated as a transient thing of beauty. This does not necessarily make for garden plants. Mark had tried some large flowered Higos in the past and not had success with them. Not only did the blooms weather damage too readily for our climate, the plants could not cope with anything other than optimal conditions in very well cultivated soil.
Wanting a strain which is closer to the original species and therefore likely to have smaller flowers and maybe a more robust nature, Mark was delighted when Auckland plantsman, Terry Hatch, offered him a tray of plants reputedly derived from wild collected seed. It has taken a little effort to pot on the plants and grow them to flowering size but this spring it has all been worth it. There is a huge range of flower size, markings and colourings coming through in the plants though we doubt that they are anywhere close to the original species which grew in the marshes near Tokyo 500 years ago.
Most of the 700 are destined for planting in swathes on the margins of our ponds and stream though I shall get down on a few and experiment with growing them in garden borders. The critical issue appears to be ensuring that they never dry out completely.
First published in the Waikato Times and reproduced here with their permission.
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