Re: Phylica pubescens

anni jensen wrote:
> 
> It is that time of the year again. I hear the screech of brakes on the
> street followed by excited voices."What IS that" they say. Informed that
> the gorgeous shrub they see is Phylica pubescens, the next question is just
> as predictable: "Where can I get that?". And that is my problem. My plant
> is one of two that germinated from a seed package from Chiltern, and I have
> not had much success propagating it. 

Anni
This used to be very popular locally, being known rather prosaically as
the Flannel Flower but I can't recollect having seen any recently -quite
possibly difficulty in propagation here too. Many local raisers these
days seem to be following the modern path of least resistance and
selling mostly only stock which is dead easy to propagate encouraged by
the sheep-like and largely undiscerning public.

I certainly once grew it myself, but alas it was rather short-lived in
my garden. I also for a time had P. gnidioides, which I raised from
seed, I think from one of the alpine societies .This was a rather
smaller plant with fairly small flowers but in a very pretty shade of
mid-pink. It also passed on fairly soon and I was never able to get it
again. A very nice little rockery shrub.

For information about P pubescens I thought I would go back to a tried
and true friend, a book from the 60s by a skillful nurseryman of that
time, when the plant was well known and grown around here.

He says that that it likes a free-draining acid peaty soil in full sun
and endures frosts not over 8 degrees F.  He also reckons its life can
be prolonged by regular trimming back after flowering.

On propagation, he says seed (but unfortunately without any details of
production or treatment) and also "autumn cuttings placed in a cold
frame with coarse sand". This I take to mean half-ripe cuttings, which
would probably be more mature than those you have tried so far. 

I also tried my usually very useful propagation book, but it has let me
down this time and doesn't so much as mention it.(:-(

I hope this may be of some help to you.
> Anni J
> Annie's Annuals

-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand, SW Pacific. 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time
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