Re: (Metrosideros) Bloom seasons in northern and southern hemispheres
- Subject: Re: (Metrosideros) Bloom seasons in northern and southern hemispheres
- From: &* B* <m*@lamorran.fsworld.co.uk>
- Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 22:00:36 -0000
Jason,
With regard to the species of Metrosideros we grow, all three you mention,
M. excelsa, M. robusta and M. umbellata are grown to varying degrees of
success on the Cornish mainland. M. robusta appears to be the most resilient
of the three.
M. excelsa has always been a source of frustration, W. Arnold-Forster
(Shrubs for the Milder Counties) back in the 1940's makes mention of it's
tendency to succumb in a harsh winter just when it appears to have made the
grade. Pretty much the stage we're at now, I fear. The source of temptation
for growing this wonderful species manifests itself out to sea in the
Scilly Isles where M. excelsa grows to a huge size.
One particular species which will flower here fairly soon is the climbing M.
carminea, a fantastic carmine red, borderline except along the coast it is
very successful with us, I would imagine it would make a nice change from
Ficus pumila on a Californian wall.
I can't help with your M. kermadecensis query, although it's optimistically
sold by a couple of nurseries here, but we do have a cultivar under the name
of M. 'Parnell' - I'm not sure of it's origins but could this be related to
your supposed hybrid?.
Btw if anyone's interested in literature on the cultivation of plants of
this nature in this corner of the British Isles (and I hope I'm not
repeating a previous posting) W. Arnold-Forster's 'Shrubs for the Milder
Counties' was reprinted for the first time quite recently. This was
instigated by Neil Armstrong (no, not that one) who has also encouraged a
few of us to put pen to paper for a kind of modern day appendix entitled
'Gardening on the Edge' (ed. Philip MacMillan-Browse) based on current
planting trends in Cornwall - published this week.
kindest regards,
Mark Brent
Lamorran
St. Mawes
Cornwall
U.K.
