Re: instead of forsythia
- Subject: Re: instead of forsythia
- From: T* a* M* R*
- Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 14:27:26 +1200
michael larmer wrote:
>
> I would also recommend Kerria japonica. It's not that hard to track down,
> does exceptionally well for me here in Sacramento in a shady situation on
> the west wall of the house (irrigated, but infrequently).
>
> Additionally, there is an old plant hanging on in an abandoned garden
> across the road from my place in the foothills (2500 ft elevation) that has
> had no care or water for at least ten years (other than being munched on by
> deer), that is happily flowering as I type this.
>
> This is a great old plant that for some reason seems to have gane out of
> favor. I had to get mine by special order through a local nursery
> (This was before I had discovered the orphan in the foothills)
>
> However, I don't know if it requires a certain amount of chilling to achieve
> dormancy and reliable bloom. I've never grown it anyplace warmer than here
> winterwise.
>
Michael
Kerria used to be very common here forty or fifty years ago though I
never grew it myself, but then seemed to go out of favour and I don't
now know of any garden which has one. I wonder why its popularity has
diminished so much. As far as I remember it was not ordinarily subject
to either diseases or pests and was generally a reliable doer. I should
call it a tidier grower than Forsythia, and certainly as colourful in
flower, especially the double form.
It never seemed to have any difficulty flowering in our Zone 9 type
climate and I see Botanica puts its upper range at about 10. I think
though that it would be happiest in some shade in the warmer disticts.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata - at the Southern tip of North Island, NZ,
Lat 41°15'S, Long 174°58'E (Antipodes of Spain/Southern France)
