Dear Nick, Thanks so much. Moving the little guy into the shade. I'm
thrilled by your description. And it makes lots of seeds? woo-hoo!
Annie Hayes
----- Original Message -----
From:
N*@mobot.org
To: m*@ucdavis.edu
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 7:42
AM
Subject: RE: Musschia wollastonii
Yes, Musschia wollastonii is seriously cool. It makes a giant
rosette of long, luxuriant, serrated leaves elevated on a stem up to 3 feet
tall. The reddish or brownish flowers are in a huge, branching, pyramidal mass
that eventually develops from the top of the rosette. After the plant has set
seed (millions of them), it dies. It's a very architectural plant.
I saw it in a forest department demonstration planting in
Madeira several years ago and collected a few seed capsules, which contained
1000s of seeds. I raised one plant that succumbed to frost, unfortunately.
They are plants of basalt cliffs in the native laurel forest in Madeira, which
has a remarkably similar climate to the SF Bay area -- lots of fog and cloud
but occasional sunny days (or am I describing Seattle?) Anyway, definitely
give it shade and protect it from frost, or at least keep a plant or two
inside in the winter as a reserve. Those cultivated plants I saw in Madeira
were in big pots, so you don't have to plant it out. It may not be too keen on
an alkaline soil either.
The genus has another species, also endemic to Madeira:
Musschia aurea. It is a smaller plant of sunnier, drier cliffs, with glossy
leaves, bright yellow flowers, and a more perennial lifespan.
Nick
Nick Turland
St. Louis,
Missouri
(USDA Zone 6)
-----Original Message-----
From: Annie
Hayes [a*@sonic.net]
Sent: Saturday, 18 May, 2002 12:32 PM
To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Musschia
wollastonii
Dear Meditarreans, I have some small plants of Musschia
wollastonii (native to Madeira) . Internet images of it look fun and cool. I
am in Richmond, California (across the Bay from San Francisco) Sunset
zone 17. Cool Summers and very little frost. Has anyone ever grown this
plant? Anyone know its requirements? Sun or shade?
Also, wanted to let you know that my Lobostemon
fruticosus ( South African shrub)-I asked about last year- thrived and
flowered this Spring. Beautiful! Just regular planting soil and sun. Low water
was fine. An excellent garden plant for the
SF Bay Area. ( Mine was about 30" tall , nice mounded
form , 1 1/2"elliptic blue-green leaves and ethereal sky- blue flowers
with pink throats) Thanks for your help!
Annie
