Chiara's Plants: March 2016

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Campanula persicifolia

Common name: peach-leaved bellflower

Family: Campanulaceae

Leaf: short-stalked and narrowly spatulate, withering before flowering time

Flowers: terminal raceme of a few flowers or single flower. Each flower is a calyx fused with 5 narrow lobes eventually spreading. The corolla, is 5-lobed, 1-2" long with 5 violet-blue fused petals, blooming June to August.

Fruit: conical capsule

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding

Height: 1'-3'; Spread: 1'-3'

Culture: Best grown in full sun to part shade in medium moist, fertile, well-drained soils, in neutral to alkaline soils. Responds well to shearing/cutting back after flowering to promote a second wave of flowering.

Uses: woodland margins, rocky outcrops meadows and banks, a good filler plant.

Origin: Alps and other mountain ranges of Europe.

Monday 28 March 2016

Alchemilla mollis

Common name: lady's mantle
Family: Rosaceae
Leaf: basal foliage mound, 6-12" tall, of long-stalked, circular, scallop-edged, toothed, pleated, soft-hairy, light green leaves that are up to 6" across, each with around 9-11 shallow rounded lobes.
Flowers: Tiny, apetalous, star-shaped, chartreuse flowers appear in loose, spreading clusters (compound cymes) atop stems rising above the foliage to 12-18” in late spring to early summer.
Height: 1'-1.5'; Spread: 1.5'-2.5'
Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: clumping
Culture: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade, but tolerates close to full shade. Prefers part afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Performs well in moist garden areas, will wilt otherwise. Freely self-seeds in the garden to the point of being somewhat invasive in optimum growing conditions. Prompt removal of spent flower stems will not only prevent self-seeding but may also encourage a sparse, late summer rebloom. Plants may be grown from seed started indoors about 6-8 weeks prior to last spring frost date. Divide plants as needed. USDA zones 3-8.
Uses: Border fronts. Cottage gardens. Edging for paths. Mass as ground cover. Dried flower arrangements
Origin: Eastern Carpathians, Caucasus

Ajuga reptans

Ajuga retains

Common name: bugleweed

Family: Lamiaceae

Leaf: shiny, dark green leaves

Flowers: whorls of tiny, blue-violet flowers appearing in mid to late spring on spikes rising above the foliage to 10".

Habit: dense, rapidly spreading, mat-forming groundcover; Form: matting

Height: 0.25'-0.75'; Spread: 1'-2'

Culture: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils with good drainage, but tolerates moderately dry ones. Will grow in full shade, but best foliage color usually occurs in part-sun locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day). Provide good air circulation in hot and humid areas where crown rot is a problem. Divide plants if they become overcrowded. This low-growing bugleweed will spread in the garden by stolons (reptans means creeping) to form a mat-like ground cover. Plants may be cut back to the ground after flowering, if necessary, to rejuvenate the foliage. Large plantings may be mowed on a high mower setting to remove spent flower spikes and to tidy the appearance of the planting. Space plants 6-9” apart for prompt cover. On variegated forms promptly remove any non-variegated leaves that may appear. Hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

Uses: As a groundcover. Will fill in large, shady areas where lawns are difficult to establish. May also be planted on banks or slopes, under trees or around shrubs. Can be planted over spring bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus). Avoid planting adjacent to lawn areas, as it could easily spread to the grass. Good for small spaces, containers and rock gardens, in between pavers

Origin: Europe

Achillea filipendulina

Common name: fern-leaf yarrow
Family: Asteraceae
Leaf: deeply-dissected, 1-2 pinnatifid, hairy, fern-like, aromatic (spicy) green leaves (each leaf up to 10" long, and divided to up to 15 pairs of linear-lanceolate toothed segments), from a basal clump.
Flowers: tiny, long-lasting, bright golden yellow flowers appear in a dense flattened plate-like compound corymbs that are up to 4" across, thought summer on erect stems rising above the basal foliage 3-4' tall.
Habit: herbaceous rhizomatous perennial; Form: clumping
Height: 3-4'; Spread: 2-3'
Culture: Best grown in lean, dry to medium, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Does well in average garden soils and tolerates poor soils with good drainage. Avoid heavy clays and moist, rich, fertile soils. Plants tolerate hot and humid summers with some drought. Plants are best sited in locations protected from strong winds. Deadhead spent flower heads to promote additional bloom. Cut plants back to basal leaves after flowering to tidy the planting and to encourage possible additional fall bloom. Divide clumps when they become overcrowded (every 3-4 years). Propagate by seed, cuttings or division. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9.
Uses: Specimen, group or mass. Borders. Cottage gardens. Containers.
Origin: Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia

Saturday 26 March 2016

Viola x wittrockiana

Common name: pansy

Family: Violaceae

Leaf: ovate- elliptic medium to dark green leaves (up to 1.5" long)

Flowers: wide variety of colours, often with contrasting blotching or central whiskering/markings.

Habit: herbaceuous perennial or annual for cool weather; Form: low, clumping

Height: 0.5'-0.75'; Spread: 0.75'-1'

Culture: Winter hardy in USDA zones 6-10. Pansies are short-lived evergreen perennials that are grown as cool weather annuals or biennials. Grow as biennials by planting in fall, mulching in winter (e.g., hay or evergreen boughs) and then enjoying the spring bloom until the plants inevitably succumb to summer heat, at which point they should be removed from the garden. Plants do not need mulching in mild winters, but may not always survive extremely harsh winters. Small but established plants generally overwinter better than large ones. A main advantage to planting pansies in fall is that they will bloom earlier (late winter to early spring) than spring transplants. Pansies may of course be easily grown as annuals by starting seed indoors in spring 12-14 weeks before last frost date. Unless a particularly unusual variety is desired, however, many gardeners find in easier to purchase plants from nurseries in cell/six packs in spring. Set out plants in early spring. Pansies are best grown in humusy, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best with part afternoon shade. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Cut back leggy plants to revitalize. Pansies are the top-selling winter bedding plant in certain areas where they are planted in fall for bloom throughout the winter and early spring.

Uses: Bedding, edging, window boxes and containers.

Origin: garden origin

Trachystemon orientalis

Common name: early flowering borage

Family: Boraginaceae

Leaf: Large, coarsely-textured, long petioled, heart-shaped, bristly-hairy, overlapping, medium to dark green basal leaves (each up to 12" long), typically maturing to full size after flowering

Flowers: Pendant, borage-like, white-throated, bluish-purple flowers (each to 1/2” wide) bloom in early spring (March-April) in loose-branched panicles (scorpioid cymes) located atop branched, hairy, pink-tinted flowering stems rising to 18” tall. Flowers bloom at a time when the foliage is just beginning to develop. Flowers have tubular corollas with five spreading to slightly reflexed petals.

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, spreading; Form: matting

Height: 1'-1.5'; Spread: 1.5'-2'

Culture: Easily grown in moist, humusy, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Tolerates drought including moderate amounts of dry shade in cool summer conditions. Also tolerates full sun, but usually performs best in sun-dappled part shade. Generally tolerant of a wide range of soils. Propagate by root cuttings and division. Will naturalize in the garden by spreading rhizomes. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 6-9. Hardy.

Uses: Ornamental ground cover featuring early blue flowers and dense heart-shaped leaves. Naturalize in partly shaded landscape areas. Woodland margins. Good selection for dry shade.

Origin: Southern Europe, SW Asia

Symphytum ibericum

Common name: Iberian comfrey, dwarf comfrey

Family: Boraginaceae

Leaf: ovate, hairy, deeply veined

Flowers: pale yellow, tubular flowers, blooming in spring

Habit: Herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding

Height: 3"-15"; Spread: 20"-40"

Culture: Full sun to part sun in moist to dry, well drained soils.

Uses: groundcover in moist-dry semi-shade/full sun. Slopes.

Origin: Georgia, Turkey, Caucasia

Scilla sibirica

Common name: Siberian squill

Family: Asparagaceae

Leaf: 3-4 medium green, strap-like, 6" long

Flowers: each bulb producing 3-4 thin scapes (3-6" high), with 1-3, drooping, bell-like, deep blue flowers with blue anthers per scape. Blooming early spring.

Habit: perennial bulb; Form: low, vase

Height: 0.25'-0.5'; Spread: 0.25'-0.5'

Culture: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Plant bulbs 2-3" deep in fall. Tough, extremely cold hardy, low-maintenance plants that will naturalize easily by bulb offshoots and self-seeding.

Uses: spring interest, in lawns, woodland setting, en masse, rock gardens, naturalized in the lawn

Origin: SW Russia, Caucasus, Turkey

Rhododendron mucronulatum

Common name: mucronatum azalea

Family: Ericaceae

Leaf: hairy, ovate-lanceolate, up to 1.5" long

Flowers: white, pink or pale red, widely funnel-shaped, up to 1.5" across. Inflorescence 1-3 flowered.

Habit: upright, evergreen- to semi-evergreen spreading shrub; Form: rounded

Height: 4-6'; Spread: 4-6'

Culture: Hardy to USDA zones 7-9. These azaleas prefer medium sun to shade and well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil.

Uses: They are versatile in the landscape, doing and looking well in woodland settings and combining nicely with other fragrant shrubs such as Viburnum or Clethra.

Origin: Japan

R. mucronulatum 'Delaware Valley White'

Rhododendron 'PJM'

Common name: rhododendron

Family: Ericaceae

Leaf: evergreen, eliiptic, hairless, leathery, dark green leaves (up to 2.5" long), foliage acquires purple tones in winter

Flowers: lavender, rose or pink flowers (colour varies with cultivar), blooming in clusters (4-9 flowers per cluster), in April.

Habit: evergreen shrub; Form: compact, rounded

Height: 3-6'; Spread: 3-7'

Culture: Best grown in acidic, humusy, organically rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers a sun dappled shade. Foliage may scorch in full sun. Acidify soils prior to planting and thereafter as needed. Plant in a location protected from strong winter winds. Good soil drainage is essential (doesn’t like “wet feet”). Poor drainage inevitably leads to root rot, therefore raised beds/plantings should be considered in heavy clay soils. Shallow, fibrous root systems, like rhododendrons will benefit greatly from a mulch (e.g., wood chips, bark or pine needles) to help retain moisture and stabilize soil temperatures. Roots must never be allowed to dry out. Clip off spent flower clusters immediately after bloom as practicable. PJM plants do not produce seed.

Uses: Mass, group or specimen. Shrub borders, mixed borders, woodland gardens and shade gardens. Informal hedge. Also effective in foundation plantings and as a specimen around the home.

Origin: garden origin (Massachusetts)

Thursday 24 March 2016

Prunus x yedoensis 'Somei-yoshino'

Common name: Yoshino cherry tree

Family: Rosaceae

Leaf: simple, broad leaves are borne alternately, are serrated, elliptic to ovate, and up to 15 centimeters long (6 inches). They flush directly after flowering has finished, remaining green until the fall when they turn yellow to orange or orange/red.

Flowers: lovely pale pink to white blossoms which are borne in generous clusters all along its bare branches. Occasionally they can occur here and there along the main branches as well. Each flower is from 3-3.5 centimeters in diameter, sporting 5 broad petals, first opening pale pink and fading to near white as they mature. These occur in clusters of 5-6, and flower nearly simultaneously on any given tree.

Fruits: round fruits (known as drupes) quickly ripen, starting out green, then turning red, and finally mature black. They are small (around a centimeter wide), mildly sweet, and not very tasty due to their high acidity.

Habit: single-trunked deciduous spring flowering tree; Form: broad, rounded

Height: 40-45'

Culture: Best planted in full sun in well-drained soils. Hardy in USDA zones 5-8.

Uses: beautiful broad tree for large space. Spring interest.

Origin: garden origin (Japan)

Prunus subhirtella 'Whitcomb'

Common name: Whitcomb flowering Hogan cherry

Family: Rosaceae

Leaves: alternate, simple, ovate to oblong-ovate, 2.5-10 cm long.

Flowers: single, petals notched, pink, but fade to white.

Height: 20-25'; Spread: up to 30'

Habit: deciduous flowering tree; Form: broad, wide oval.

Culture: Plant in full sun in well drained soils. Hardy in USDA zones 5-8.

Uses: beautiful wide tree in a large area, spring interest.

Origin: Japan

Prunus sargentii

Common name: Sargent cherry

Family: Rosaceae

Leaf: Elliptic to oblong, glossy dark green leaves, up to 5" long, acuminate tips and aerated margins, emerge in spring with bronze tints.

Flowers: pink flowers in 2-4 flowered clusters (sessile umbels), appearing before the foliage in spring.

Fruit: small, glossy dark purple-black drapes/cherries, which ripen in early summer. Fruits are bitter and inedible off the tree.

Habit: ornamental flowering cherry tree; Form: dense, broad-rounded

Height: 20-30'; Spread: 20-30'

Culture: Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in full sun. Somewhat intolerant of high heat and humidity, and generally does not grow well south of USDA Zone 7. Hardy in USDA zones 4-7.

Uses:Excellent tree for lawns or streets. Specimen or group. Small shade tree.

Origin: Japan, Korea, Russia

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Prunus incisa

Common name: Fuji cherry

Family: Rosaceae

Leaf: lance-shaped leaves, lanceolate to elliptic. Teeth on leaf margins (hence 'incisa')

Flowers: Corymb of flowers 1.5cm wide opening before the leaves in early spring, petals white or palest pink, becoming deeper pink in the center
Habit: deciduous, upright, multi-stemmed, suckering, dense shrub
Form: oval to round
Height:10-20'; Spread: 10-15'

Culture: Plant in full to part sun in moist, well- drained mineral soils. This species is used to breed dwarf cherry trees. Hardy in USDA zone 6-9.
Uses: specimen, woodland margin, spring interest.
Origin: Japan

P. incisa 'Koji-no-mai' leaves

P. incisa 'ko Jo No Mai'

Narcissus poeticus hybrids

Common name: poet's daffodil

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Leaf: simple, basal, glabrous, green, linear, strap-like

Flowers: terminal, solitary, fragrant, 6- tepal, white perianth and a short, yellow cup with a red margins, blooming March to May.

Height: 0.75-1'; Spread: less than 10"

Habit: perennial bulb; Form: vase

Culture: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best in organically rich, sandy to loams that drain well. Plant bulbs 4-6" deep and 3-6” apart in fall. After the flowers have bloomed, the top portion of each flower stem may be removed, as practicable, to prevent seed formation, but foliage should not be cut back until it begins to yellow. Flowers usually face the sun, so bulbs should be grown with any shade areas at the rear of the planting. Bulbs can be left undisturbed for a number of years. Hardy in USDA zones 5-10.

Uses: Best in beds, borders, wild gardens, open woodland areas, in front of shrubs or massed under trees. Best planted in quantity, i.e., from smaller groupings of at least 6 bulbs to large sweeping drifts. Mixes well with other spring-flowering bulbs

Origin: species origin is southern Europe- Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Greece.

N. poeticus 'Plexus'

N. poeticus 'Pheasant's Eye'

Narcissus bulbocodium

Common name: petticoat daffodil

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Leaf: Leaf: Narrow, linear to strap-shaped, green leaves in erect to sprawling clumps.

Flowers: Small, deep yellow trumpet-shaped, hoop-skirt shaped flowers in mid-Spring. The flower is unusual in that the central trumpet (corona) is exceptionally large in relation to the outer section (perianth) consisting of tiny pointed segments.

Habit: perennial bulb; Form: small, low, delicate

ulture: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best in organically rich, sandy to loams that drain well. Plant bulbs 4-6" deep and 3-6” apart in fall. After the flowers have bloomed, the top portion of each flower stem may be removed, as practicable, to prevent seed formation, but foliage should not be cut back until it begins to yellow. Best to keep the area where they are planted, dry in the summer- or at least having sharp draining soil. Ideally on a slope in the sun. Can jaturalize on fine grass on a slope. Flowers usually face the sun, so bulbs should be grown with any shade areas at the rear of the planting. Bulbs can be left undisturbed for a number of years. Hardy in USDA zones 8-9.

Origin: species origin is southern Europe- Iberian peninsula

Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête'

Common name: miscellaneous daffodil

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Leaf: Leaf: Narrow, linear to strap-shaped, green leaves in erect to sprawling clumps.

Flowers: Very early blooming, miniature daffodil rises only to 6-8" tall and features 1-3 buttercup-yellow flowers on one stem, with long, narrow trumpets and slightly reflexed petals per stem

Habit: perennial bulb; Form: low, clumping

Height: 0.5'-0.75'; Spread: 0.25'-0.5'

Origin: species origin is southern Europe- Iberian peninsula

Narcissus 'Jet fire'

Common name: cyclamineus daffodil

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Leaf: Narrow, linear to strap-shaped, dark green leaves in erect to sprawling clumps

Flowers: egg-yolk-yellow inner corolla, tepals slightly reflexes, trumpet somewhat hanging down

Height: up to 1.25'; Spread: up to 0.75'

Habit: perennial bulb; Form: low, clumping

Origin: species origin is southern Europe- Iberian peninsula

Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

Common name: large-cupped daffodil

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Leaf: Narrow, linear to strap-shaped, green leaves in erect to sprawling clumps.

Flowers: cup (corona) that is more than 1/3 but less than the length of the petals (perianth segments). Flowers rise 16-18" tall in spring. Flower heads unusually large, up to 4" across. Each flower has white petals and a flattened ruffled yellow cup that matures to creamy white.

Habit: perennial bulb; Form: low, clumping

Height: 1'-1.5'; Form: 0.5'- 0.75'

Origin: species origin is southern Europe- Iberian peninsula

Monday 21 March 2016

Muscari latifolia

Common name: grape hyacinth
Family: Asparagaceae
Leaf: solitary basal leaf, linear
Flower: bicoloured flower raceme (up to 2.5" long) of tightly packed, urn-shaped flowers. Lower fertile flowers are dark violet and the upper sterile flowers are soft violet blue.
Habit: perennial bulb; Form: low, mounded
Height: 0.5-1'; Spread: 0.5-0.75'
Culture: Easily grown in average, medium-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Plant bulbs about 3" deep. Good soil drainage is essential. Adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions. Flowers emerge early in spring. Keep gorund moist during its growing and flowering, but wehn it goes dormant in the summer, its best if it is not kept moist. Naturalizes by bulb offsets and self-seeding, although it takes 4 years from seed to flowering.
Uses: spring interest en masse, in lawns, open areas, around shrubs, under deciduous trees, rock garden. Mixes well with other early blooming bulbs. Containers. Forces easily for winter bloom.
Origin: Southern and Western Asia

Sunday 20 March 2016

Mukdenia rossii

Common name: mukdenia, crimson fans

Family: Saxifragaceae

Leaf: Palmate, rounded, 5-9 lobed, dentate, medium green leaves (up to 5" long), getting a bronze tinge by summertime.

Flowers: white, bell-shaped flowers in branched panicles rise on naked stems above the foliage clup- up to 16" tall in spring (April).
Height: 0.75-1.5'; Spread: 1-2'
Habit: compact herbaceous perennial; Form: clumping
Culture: Best grown in moist, fertile, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun in the northern part of its growing range. Hardy in USDA zones 4-8. However, plants often struggle in hot and humid summers where they appreciate afternoon shade or sun dappled shade. If grown in full sun, consistent moisture is important. Plants spread over time by short creeping rhizomes.
Uses: groundcover for shady areas, borders, woodland margins. Flowers may be a little leggy in more shay areas.
Origin: China to Korea

Magnolia sprengeri 'Eric Savill'

Common name: magnolia 'Eric Savill'

Family: Magnoliaceae

Leaf: deciduous, simple, alternate, glabrous, dark green ovate to obovate, pale green on undersides

Flowers: terminal, solitary, showy, fragrant, pink rotate with flopping, undulate petals, blooming March-April, up to 20cm across.

Fruit: aggregate of follicles

Habit: deciduous, upright, spreading, dense; Form: oval to rounded

Height: 26-40'; Spread: 12-26'

Culture: Plant in full to part sun in rich, loamy, well-drained soils. Some tolerance of maritime exposure. Benefits from protection from winds. Hardy in USDA zones 6-9.

Uses: specimen, accent, spring interest, shade tree, screen

Origin: garden origin; China