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Re: [SHADEGARDENS] aconitum

In gardens, the best aconitums I have ever seen have been grown in full
sun, with good rich soil that stays moist. In the wild, the habitat of our
native A. columbianum will vary from sunny wet meadows, to an understory
plant under Douglas firs, along creeks. Consistent moisture seems to be a
key, and full sun seems to bring out the fullest flowering and sturdiest
stems, but I think others are correct to say that the amount of sun it can
take depends on the degree of heat in your area.  In China most aconitums
we saw were growing in light shade, although there was one particularly
stunning species that grew in full sun in an open meadow, with large clumps
of very finely dissected leaves, and large branched racemes of flowers - we
never found out the species name on that one. I covet it.

We have grown A. volubile for many years, and it has always been one of my
favorites, for its uniqueness as much as for its beauty. It takes garden
visitors by surprise to see aconitum flowers dangling above their head,
from vines scrambling through various shrubs. We have planted them on the
shady side of  pines, and they do very well, but as with many vines, they
reach for the sun. Another plant I love for its surprise value, though not
a shade lover, and barely hardy for us in the Pacific NW is Clematis
afoliata, from New Zealand, afoliata meaning "without leaves", and it's the
truth - just yards of thin twining green stems with tendrils, and
occasionally in the early spring putting out a few small pale yellow
flowers in the tendril axils.  We call it the 'Ultimate Clematis
Collector's Clematis".


Diana R






>
Diana Reeck/Bill Janssen
Collector's Nursery
16804 NE 102nd Ave., Battle Ground, WA 98604 USA
http://www.collectorsnursery.com
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