looking for shrubs now rare in the trade!!
- Subject: looking for shrubs now rare in the trade!!
- From: &* O* <S*@UCCMVSA.UCOP.EDU>
- Date: Tue, 03 Dec 96 16:48:09 PST
Fellow Medit-Plantspersons -
I have been hitting a wall recently in trying to locate a shrub for
a design I'm doing for a client. While I'm not very surprized to
have difficulty finding a plant in the trade, I am having some
trouble making the decision to substitute something else. Actually,
I have already made a substritution, but now I find this second
plant is also unavailable!!!
The plants are:
Metrosideros kermadecensis 'Variegata', the 'Red & Gold'
Metrosideros. This is a handsome tree, not unlike its cousin, M.
excelsa, the New Zealand Christmas Tree, but perhaps less
floriferous. In this cultivar, the rounded leaves, covered with a
light layer of soft tomentum, are edged in a creamy gold, creating
an overall light creamy green effect on the newer growth. Later,
the green of the leaves becomes darker while the variegated edge,
more yellow green. The sparse flowers are small red 'puffs' of
stamens, and there is always a leaf here and there changing to
bright red in age, hence the common name of 'red and gold'. This is
a charming tree, moderate to slow growing, mixing well with various
other shrubs & perennials well. It seems that most of the
Metrosideros have recently been dropped by local growers - guess
they weren't selling very well. If anyone know of a local or mail
order source for this wonderful tree, please let me know!
Coprosma repens 'Picturata', a variegated Mirror Bush. This I chose
as a replacement for the above, in that the variegation is not to
distant from that of the Metrosideros (though completely different).
The standard Mirror Bush has rounded leaves of deep, intense green,
with the shiniest surface of perhaps any plant! In this cultivar,
there is a central 'flame' of golden variegation which is quite
handsome. While there are a few white variegated forms available
today ('Marble Queen'), this gold variegate seems to have fallen out
of favor as well(!?). Again, looking for this guy too!
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance!
H O R T U L U S A P T U S - 'a small garden suited to its purpose'
Sean A. O'Hara
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459 sean.ohara@ucop.edu
(510) 987-0577
