Inside-out-flower: Vancouveria - my American dream!

[Paul T]

Interesting leaf form on the Jeffersonia, Mark.

[McDonough]

Are you saying that you crossed Vancouveria and Epimedium and may have gotten viable seed?
That would be awesome!

Well, I gave it a try, attempting to cross it with Epimedium membranaceum and E. elongatum.  We shall see in a couple years whether anything was successful.  My attempts were not highly controlled, so while seed was set, who knows whether there was any selfing or other pollen contamination.; the potential offspring shall be judge.  Darrell Probst thinks that such crosses may be possible.

[WimB]

Are you saying that you crossed Vancouveria and Epimedium and may have gotten viable seed?
That would be awesome!

Well, I gave it a try, attempting to cross it with Epimedium membranaceum and E. elongatum.  We shall see in a couple years whether anything was successful.  My attempts were not highly controlled, so while seed was set, who knows whether there was any selfing or other pollen contamination.; the potential offspring shall be judge.  Darrell Probst thinks that such crosses may be possible.

I'm curious to see what a cross like that might give, hope to see that in a couple of years.

[Jan Jeddeloh]

I have Vancouveria chrysantha, one clone, and while it's set seed none of it's germinated.  So maybe you do need two clones.  Has anyone queried Darrell Probst on this?  Anyone with a chrysantha want to swap plants so we each have two clones?  I can't remember the time of year to divide vancouverias/epimediums but I seem to recall their is a specific time of year that's most successful.

Jan in Portland, Oregon where they're forecasting 20F in a couple of days.  Nothing like a round of "stuff the greenhouse" to get the blood moving.

[McDonough]

I have Vancouveria chrysantha, one clone, and while it's set seed none of it's germinated.  So maybe you do need two clones.  Has anyone queried Darrell Probst on this?  Anyone with a chrysantha want to swap plants so we each have two clones?  I can't remember the time of year to divide vancouverias/epimediums but I seem to recall their is a specific time of year that's most successful.

Jan in Portland, Oregon where they're forecasting 20F in a couple of days.  Nothing like a round of "stuff the greenhouse" to get the blood moving.

Jan, would you have a photo to post of your Vancouveria chrysantha?  How does it grow for you?  I hear that it is not as aggressive as V. hexandra.  Did you collect and sow the seed when first shed, if Vancouveria is anything like Epimedium, the seed is ephemeral and should not be totally dried before sowing; it should be sown soon after harvest in spring/early summer and the pots not allowed to totally dry out, the seed should germinate the following spring.  However, I have no personal experience sowing seed on Vancouveria.

Whether two clones on a single Vancouveria species are needed for seed set, again I don't know, but such claims are made for Epimedium.  I haven't asked Darrell about that two-clones requirement for Vancouveria seed set, although he does consider the possibility of crosses being made between Vancouveria  and Epimedium.

Dividing Epimediums is best in spring when they are in active fresh growth; either very early at pre-emergence, or after flowering.  I also divide them successfully in autumn once cool weather arrives, yet with enough fall weather left to keep the roots growing to get them somewhat established.  Plants divided in mid-summer during hot weather tend to just sit there and show the most amount of shock.  Keeping them well watered after division is important to success.

All three species of Vancouveria are available commercially, a Google search should yield some nursery sources.

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Well, I thought I had a photo of chrysantha, in fact I know I took one a couple of years ago but I sure can't find it.  I'll try to get one when it blooms this spring. 

It's very happy where I have it in well drained soil getting a steady diet of Douglas Fir needles.  I still don't think it's as agressive as hexandra which is native to my property. I had a devil of a time getting rid of it in an area where it wasn't wanted.

Yes, I've tried sowing the seed when it was fresh off the plant.  Still didn't germinate but then I didn't get a lot of seed to work with.

It's not really up yet-just thinking about it.  Do you think now would be a good time to send some rhizomes over seas (the recipient knows who he is)?  I have an email out to Diana Reeck of Collector's Nursery about the best time to do this but I haven't heard back from her.  She grows a lot of epimediums.

Jan

[Hoy]

I would say it is a good time now as Vancouveria is best divided in spring

[McDonough]

Jan, I haven't worked with Vancouveria as much as Epimedium, but if the risk of any serious freezing temperature are over for you, then I would agree with Trond that dividing it now would most likely be successful.  Sending rhizomes that are ready to emerge would be easier than sending them later with fresh easily-damaged sprouts to worry about.

6 F here this morning, and only 13 F at near midday even though sunny, and with an snow/icepack layer still 18" deep, I'm afraid I will not see any Epimediums or Vancouverias for quite some time.

[McDonough]

Some multimedia imagery on Vancouveria chrysantha!

Photo of Vancouveria chrysantha:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papaquijote/94575538/
...with seed pods:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0608+2034


Pollination:
Vancouveria chrysantha pollination by Bombus mixtus
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP6tHFzGFW8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP6tHFzGFW8</a>

Solitary bee visits Golden Inside-out flower
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf3NN9ZIAUg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf3NN9ZIAUg</a>


Seed dispersal:
Ants disperse seeds of Golden inside-out flower, Vancouveria chrysantha
(the ants are attracted to the elaiosome portion of the seed; the seed does look very much like Epimedium seed, like a tiny lima bean)
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBe6sIJapLg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBe6sIJapLg</a>

Ant disperse seeds of Vancouveria chrysantha
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKzS_y14pl4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKzS_y14pl4</a>

[McDonough]

A ray of sunshine today, a hairy coiled shoot on Vancouveria chrysantha.

[McDonough]

Vancouveria chrysantha turned yellow early in summer 2011 and dropped all leaves, I worried that something happened.  Here in spring 2012, no sign of it, I think it gave up the ghost, in other words, it died.

I went down to my large patch of Vancouveria hexandra that has been in my dry unwatered woodland area for over two decades, dug out a piece to plant one closer to my cultivated garden area in proximity to Epimediums, but when I saw the very long rhizomes I had second thoughts.  I did indeed plant it, but in a spot that it will be free to run.  It should be noted that some Epimediums are equally spreading and sending out foot-long rhizomes annually, and such types must be planted carefully, versus the much better behaved clumping types.

[RickR]

Nice informative pics, Mark.  I haven't even noticed mine pop up yet!  Even the Hacquetia epipactis right next to it seems to do better (!)

[ErnieC123]

My Vancouveria chrsantha got little after the winter:-( So i decided to divide it. Just three divided plants left! Maybe this could help anyone.