What catalogs are you looking at?  websites?  Been cold too long here in Tennessee and we are all getting stir crazy.

Nancy

On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 5:20 PM, Don Martinson wrote:

 Thank you for your clarification on the name.  It’s rather surprising that so many vendors are still using the name “Digiplexis” (and without the proper “trademark” designation instead of the correct name).  But then, again, I suppose they don’t keep up on changes in taxonomy, although you would have thought that information would have been supplied by their vendor.  In addition, only one site (San Marcos Growers) uses the correct   name, Digitalis .

However, I still have the question of the vernalization aspect of this plant.

-- Don Martinson

   Milwaukee, Wisconsin

On 2/7/14, 1:36 PM, "Graham Rice" < graham@grahamrice.com> wrote:

Can I just clarify the name of this plant? The name "Digiplexis" is a made up trade mark. Isoplexis canariensis was reclassified as a Digitalis some years ago so this hybrid is actually a Digitalis - D. canariensis x D. purpurea. The first one to be launched here in the US is Digitalis Illumination Flame ('Harkstead Flame') (below); three others have been launched in Britain. There's more info on two of them here:

http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/graham_rice/archive/2012/01/11/digitalis-illumination-new-from-thompson-amp-morgan.aspx

http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/graham_rice/archive/2013/01/20/digitalis-illumination-chelsea-gold-follow-up-to-plant-of-the-year-winner.aspx

As I say, Digiplexis is an invalid and unnecessary name.

Allbest,

Graham Rice

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On Feb 7, 2014, at 1:25 PM, Don Martinson wrote:

Digiplexis

I’m very intrigued by a new plant appearing in catalogs this spring.  Digiplexis,  a bi-generic cross between Isoplexis, native to the Canary Islands and Digitalis.  It is listed as hardy to zones 8-10, but I would need to use it as an annual here in Wisconsin, although I might try to overwinter it in my glasshouse.

 

My concern/question is that the plant apparently needs vernalization at temperatures below 50F (10C) for at least 4 weeks in order to set flower buds.  Few of the catalogs offering Digiplexis indicate if the plants they are selling are vernalized or not (or should I assume they are?).  One site selling plugs to commercial nurseries does address this, but I would only be interested in a single plant, expecting it to bloom this year.  If worse comes to worse, I’ll probably ending up calling the nurseries and speaking with someone in a technical capacity to answer this question.

 

Anyone here have any words of wisdom?

-- Don Martinson

   Milwaukee, WI

"If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener."

   ~J. C. Raulston