Re: Seriously weird
- Subject: Re: Seriously weird
- From: T* &* M* R*
- Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 08:46:35 +1200
Einionygarddwr@aol.com wrote:
>
> Am I the only gardener who orders plants purely because their
> catalogue
> descriptions make them sound, erm, *different*...? I've just sent off
> an
> order to a nursery yesterday & one plant I've requested - I'd never
> heard of
> it previously - is Parsonsia capularis, which is described as 'a
> strange
> looking, climbing/scandent shrub, brownish narrow-lanceolate leaves.
> Fragrant
> yellowish small flowers. New Zealand'. Hardly a beauty going by that
> description, so I've just got to have it! Anyone else either know
> and/or grow
> it?
>
> Also ordered is Pseudopanax chathamicus: coming from the Chatham
> Islands it
> should, by rights, be a very borderline subject for British gardens,
> even
> coastal ones such as this one. But in a friend's garden some miles
> away it
> has proved to be as hardy as P.ferox & considerably hardier than
> P.crassifolius, which was cut to the ground by frosts in the -8/9C
> region.
> These seem to be the only 3 pseudopanax species of the lunar
> /primitive
> variety (as opposed to those with schefflera tendencies, such as
> P.laetus &
> P.lesonii), available in the UK. Presumably, in other parts of the
> globe
> there are other species on offer?
>
Einion
You certainly seem to be into New Zealand Plants. I actually do have a
Parsonsia in my own garden. It has been there for many years and it
probably would have done better if I had not accidently pulled it up
when weeding along the border where it grows, (Not just once, I am
ashamed to say, but twice!). Firmed back in its hole it has continued to
grow without any obvious discomfort, so at least I can say it is tough.
It is certainly pretty hardy too, growing all over NZ in coastal and
mountain scrubland.
I don't know about calling it a scandant shrub, my books and I agree it
is a slender twining evergreen climber and mine has grown handily right
up a tall quince tree.
It is a pity the form you are being offered has yellowish flowers, as
white, pink and red varieties, all of which must be prettier, are known
and cultivated here.. They are all sweetly scented and the plant is
nicknamed NZ Jasmine, though its Maori name is Kaiwhiria (approx
Ky-fwriria- in the North Island Maori dialect wh is prononced more less
as fw). It has interesting long decorative seed pods apparently, but
mine took a long time to get its head out in the sun, so I haven't so
far seen flowers or fruit, but now it is right up the tree I have hopes
for next spring/summer...
There is another local species, P heterophylla, also commonly white
flowered, which apparently has a bright showy yellow variant, but this
is unfortunately not in general cultvation.
Altogether there are apparenty around 40 species of Parsonsia in
Australasia and the Southern Pacific.
As to Pseudopanax. There are apparently 14 endemic species here, but
apart from those you mention, the rest less hardy than P crassifolius.
Another half a dozen species hale from Tasmania and Chile, but I don't
know anything more about them.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand, SW Pacific. 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time
