Jeffersonia

[McDonough]

OMG, your multiple-petaled form is very choice, such full rounded flowers; maybe make some divisions of that one  

You're having a better flowering season for them than I am.  Today I was home because my car broke down (hurrah), which as it turns out, gave me a day to look at plants in bloom on a sunny day at long last, and the Jeffersonias, which have been in closed bloom for weeks, finally partially opened their flowers today.  Jeffersonia diphylla is ready to bloom too, but with the next 3 workdays predicted to be sunny, I'll probably miss seeing them, let alone attempt a second time to cross the two species.

[McDonough]

A few views of Jeffersonia today.

Left, J. dubia (above the main plant, are dozens of seedlings).
Right, J. dubia Korean Form, with red versus green ovaries.




J. diphylla ready to pop open, I think I might miss the bloom during the work week.




Two close-ups of J. diphylla seedlings.

[Hoy]

They really are beauties both species but Rick's double take the first prize!
I'm looking forward to my woodland "filled with" these plants  Hope is still living!

Trond, will have to send you some seed this year.

.. so thanks, Mark!

[cohan]

Stunning, Rick! I'm usually not a fan of double flowers, but this still looks natural enough 

I would like to beg seed this year again if anyone has some spare (of either species)- I got some from two generous people last year, but I'm not sure about them- one batch got mouldy in transit and the other I  may have accidentally let dry out I'm still hopeful, but not expectant....

[RickR]

I am going to divide my double dubia this season.  As it produces more and more buds each year, the individual flowers seem to be a bit smaller.  I am thinking now the best time is after the leaves fully open, or would you say right after flowering?  Anyone with good or bad experiences?  Do tell...

The first division goes back to a fellow Chapter member (Nancy), who gave me the plant as a small seedling in 2006.  Hers (the parent) is a normal form, but with better color and more blue.

[Hoy]

I am going to divide my double dubia this season.  As it produces more and more buds each year, the individual flowers seem to be a bit smaller.  I am thinking now the best time is after the leaves fully open, or would you say right after flowering?  Anyone with good or bad experiences?  Do tell...

The first division goes back to a fellow Chapter member (Nancy), who gave me the plant as a small seedling in 2006.  Hers (the parent) is a normal form, but with better color and more blue.

I can't advise you regarding dividing but maybe you should name this form? It is worth propagating!
And I am sorry I don't live close to you

[Tony Willis]

I am going to divide my double dubia this season.  As it produces more and more buds each year, the individual flowers seem to be a bit smaller.  I am thinking now the best time is after the leaves fully open, or would you say right after flowering?  Anyone with good or bad experiences?  Do tell...

The first division goes back to a fellow Chapter member (Nancy), who gave me the plant as a small seedling in 2006.  Hers (the parent) is a normal form, but with better color and more blue.

Rick

my only experience with a large plant was a fairly quick death to both parts.

On the other hand I have just received a small division of the white form and it is looking fine and is I believe a year old.

Diane Clements on the Scottish Rock would be a very good person to ask as I know she has experience of it.

[McDonough]

I only divided Jeffersonia dubia once before.  I received my plants from nearby friend and fellow rock gardener Marsha Russell, she was clearing out much of her garden in preparation for eventually moving (ultimately she decided not to move afterall), we dug a couple large clumps late in the season (late summer or fall, can't remember exactly when).  They have a massive root system, and I pulled apart the large clumps into smaller pieces, and fortunately all acclimated just fine. The time of year was by chosen by necessity of the intended house move situation, not by any insightful experience with moving and dividing Jeffersonia.  Not sure if we were just luckly or if late summer is actually a good time for such an operation.

[McDonough]

Home again on a sunny but cold day, too cold for Jeffersonia flowers to open much, with J. diphylla's buds still tightly clenched. One good thing about the coolness, the flowers last longer. 

Left:   J. dubia trying it's best to open flowers.  I spied some pods just starting to form on some plants.
Right: J. dubia Korean Form, a better overhead view to show the red ovaries and dark stamens.




Left:   Jeffersonia dubia, 2-year old sown-in-place seedlings starting to grow.
Right: These dang weeds are popping up everywhere! 




Left:    Jeffersonia diphylla - a clump looking pretty good, with lots of flower buds.  If they open soon, I might get a chance to attempt dabbing J. dubia pollen on the flowers for another try at crossing the two species.
Right:  Another view in afternoon light today, the flowers stems leaning towards the sun.

[Hoy]

Mark it is easy to see that you have a drier climate than I have! Here the soil had been covered in moss in no time (do I spot a piece of moss in one of the middle pictures, Mark? ) and not your kind of weed! Wouldn't mind some of them Do the Koren form and the other cross?  - or I mean, can you discern the hybrids?

[McDonough]

Do the Koren form and the other cross?  - or I mean, can you discern the hybrids?

Haven't tried.  The Korean form is only noticeably different from the regular form of J. dubia by virtue of the red ovary and dark stamens, versus green ovary and light color stamens in regular J. dubia. Much rather try crossing the two species, instead of figuring subtle differences between the same species.

[Hoy]

Do the Koren form and the other cross?  - or I mean, can you discern the hybrids?

Haven't tried.  The Korean form is only noticeably different from the regular form of J. dubia by virtue of the red ovary and dark stamens, versus green ovary and light color stamens in regular J. dubia. Much rather try crossing the two species, instead of figuring subtle differences between the same species.

Yes of course - I just wondered whether some stray seedlings showed intermediary characters. Maybe the offspring of such a cross were showed extra vigour - heterosis effect, you know.

[McDonough]

I only have a few sown-in-place 2 year seedlings of the Korean form coming a long, then a potful of fresh seedlings from last summer sowing.  This Korean form was a relatively new (going on 3 years) acquisition from Darrell Probst.

[Hoy]

A few and a potful Any one of them would be nice to grow

[McDonough]

With cool weather, Jeffersonia diphylla has been in bud for 1-1/2 weeks, but not warm enough to open its flowers.  Of course, with warmer temperatures during the work week, the flowers certainly did open, but I missed seeing them open for 2012 . Inspecting the plants tonight at dusk after I got home, the petals had fallen and small developing seed pods have begun to form.




Last summer (2011) I rowed out lots of seedlings of my attempted cross of J. dubia x diphyllum.  The area where I planted them was subject to continued disturbance by mole tunneling, and despite attempts to bait, the tunneling continued.  The photo I show below was taken a few days ago, it is not staged, it is what I actually came upon, I think the varmints are mocking me, not only did they tunnel, but they actually tunneled such that the labels fell into a mole hole!  So far I don't see a single young Jeffersonia seedling leafing out (all the other Jeffersonia seedlings have been up for a couple weeks or more), so I'm beginning to think this bed is a total failure.




While I have missed opportunity to try crossing the two species again in 2012, thank goodness I have many pink-stemmed baby J. diphylla (just the regular species) to plant around the garden this year. They are the cutest little seedlings.