Miscellaneous Woodlanders

[IMYoung]

On close examination, the flowers are quite exquisite!

If the distribution is below 800m, I expect the hardiness rating is not too high, but then Vancouveria is rated zone 6-7 and Lori has it in Calgary (zone 3) so who knows the ultimate hardiness of Scoliopis.

The intricate shapes and markings of the flowers  repay close attention, that's for sure. There are deep furrows with the markings, very sculptural.


We've had the Scoliopus bigelovii down to minus 19 C for a longish spell some years ago and this year to around  minus ten for longer than we liked so it's proving tough enough for  N. E. Scotland.

[McDonough]

I found a good video showing Scoliopus bigelovii being pollinated by fungus gnats.  Some excellent close-up views of the flowers too.  You might want to turn down the music or mute it on this one, but all in all, a rare treat; would like to see more plant-related videos.

Screen capture of the YouTube video, this user BotanyVideo has a number of good ones to watch.


Scoliopus bigelovii - pollination
(tip: if you have high-speed internet, hit the "full screen" button on the right right, hit ESC to return screen to normal)
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZGD-DW94oI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZGD-DW94oI</a>

[WimB]

Some Thalictrum thalictroides in flower here now:

T thalictroides 'Babe'
T thalictroides 'Betty Blake'
T thalictroides 'Big'
T thalictroides 'Diamant'
T thalictroides 'Jade Feather'
T thalictroides 'Pink Diamant'
T thalictroides 'White Singel'
and T thalictroides 'XXL'

and two other shade lovers:

Glaucidium palmatum and Uvularia grandiflora 'Gold Leaf Form'

[RickR]

Beautiful, Wim.  The native Thalictrum thalictroides (we call them May flowers) are barely detectable at the soil surface here.

And our native Uvularia grandiflora are a half inch high.  Does your Gold Leaf Form have leaves that turn yellow later?  It looks like normal leaf color in your photo...

[WimB]

Beautiful, Wim.  The native Thalictrum thalictroides (we call them May flowers) are barely detectable at the soil surface here.

And our native Uvularia grandiflora are a half inch high.  Does your Gold Leaf Form have leaves that turn yellow later?  It looks like normal leaf color in your photo...

Hi Rick,

The leaves get a bit more yellow but it's not very spectacular...I wouldn't have given it a cultivar name. I've heard there's an orange flowering Uvularia going around. Anyone ever seen it?

[cohan]

interesting to see the Thalictrum, our local sp has sprays of tiny flowers, and flowers in summer,,
Rick, on your wild T thalictroides, are the flowers at all large like these cultivars?

[Lori S.]

The plants Wim showed with the beautiful showy flowers were previously distinguished from Thalictrum, and referred to as a different genus (for obvious reasons!)- Anemonella - but have been since been lumped.   (I'm sure there is some reason but come on!!)  Anemonella/Thalictrum are are hardy here though, and may be worth trying in your area, Cohan?

[cohan]

I actually had that in my mind, Lori, (Anemonella) but didn't look it up to check..
I'm always interested in woodlanders  that's why I was curious about Rick's native form.... I've looked at-- I think-- some Asian/Russian sp on some seed lists.. among thousands of other things 

[RickR]

Rick, on your wild T thalictroides, are the flowers at all large like these cultivars?

It's a hard to tell, but judging from leaf and petal size comparison and the angle of Wim's close up photos, my wild ones in the garden seem pretty close to the same size.  I think Wim could answer better if he looks at the pics below.  In the wild, as you would expect, size is quite variable, but overall a bit smaller.  I have one cultivar, Schoaff's Double, and its flower width is definitely smaller, but it sure packs on the "petals".

1-2. Thalictrum thalictroides - indigenous type in the garden
3. Thalictrum thalictroides 'Schoaff's Double'

[cohan]

Rick, on your wild T thalictroides, are the flowers at all large like these cultivars?

It's a hard to tell, but judging from leaf and petal size comparison and the angle of Wim's close up photos, my wild ones in the garden seem pretty close to the same size.  I think Wim could answer better if he looks at the pics below.  In the wild, as you would expect, size is quite variable, but overall a bit smaller.  I have one cultivar, Schoaff's Double, and its flower width is definitely smaller, but it sure packs on the "petals".

1-2. Thalictrum thalictroides - indigenous type in the garden
3. Thalictrum thalictroides 'Schoaff's Double'

Thanks for that, Rick--no doubt the cultivars have some bigger flowers--at least the names suggest it  but the wild form looks perfectly charming I'll have to watch for seed.. I do like colour variants, but tend to be less fond of doubles or other sorts of cultivars-- though I find it endlessly fascinating to see what can be coaxed out of a plant's genome!

[RickR]

I have well over a dozen plants, and they seed and volunteer profusely.  Those pics are from 2005.  I'll try to remember you when seed ripens, Cohan.  They bloom for a very long time in the garden, early May through June, and even into July since they don't seem to have such a driving ephemeral instinct like they do in the woods.  Feel free to remind me in early June. 

[cohan]

thanks, Rick, that would be great

[WimB]

interesting to see the Thalictrum, our local sp has sprays of tiny flowers, and flowers in summer,,
Rick, on your wild T thalictroides, are the flowers at all large like these cultivars?

Cohan,

I have some wild-collected (from seed) Th. thalictroides too and they all have smaller flowers but I've heard they can be very variable in the wild and I think European sellers want to make a quick buck by giving different name to barely different clones (like 'Big' and 'XXL' for example, both form the same seller).

[cohan]

Wim-- nothing new or surprising there I heard of someone who collected cacti in South America for a European nursery, many years ago--they were paid by the number of 'species' they found.. you can imagine there were a lot more species found than reason would dictate 
Nowadays there is probably more money in named cultivars..... 
Oh well, as long as you can see the plant you are buying, and you like it, doesn't matter what they call it...lol

[gerrit]

This is Mertensia virginica. A plant native in the USA. In my part of the world  seldom seen in culture. I wonder if you regard this plant as special, or regard it as almost weed. I understand one won't grow a plant in his garden, while it grows in everybody's garden.
Myself I like it very much, because of it's color,a deep, heavenly blue.