spring 2011

a stroll through my spring garden.
Things are definitely progressing.
Here's a white flowering prunus mume

A wonderful, early-blooming shrub Dirca palustris

Cornus mas

abeliophyllum

a pink prunus mume.
Extremely early blooming japanese apricot

This message was edited Mar 19, 2011 5:30 PM

It's always exciting to see the dreary winter landscape jump to life this time of year.
What's blooming in your woodlands?

Jumping to life...

Here's a not-so-happy Magnolia 'Joe McDaniel' - once so full of promise, now so full of snow/ice.

Ditto for the ambitious emergence of two flavors of Viburnum farreri.

This was the best the white one ('Candidissimum') had ever looked...

The pink Fragrant Viburnum seems less happy with all this frigidity, but is gamely holding on this morning.

We similarly got walloped.
Not only with snow, but the temp this AM was 24 degrees...
Here's a prunus mume shivering.

Oh, that earyl pink apricot is to die for. Lovely picture, lovely plant

Well, we ducked the cold and survived a little flooding. Here's what's showing off now...

Magnolia 'Joe McDaniel' (shivering above) held up like a trooper; this is an image from April 4th.

Don't see this chap around everyday...anyone care to guess before I just casually toss off its name?

Looking really ripe - this image is from April 12th.

And here's a shot of some stellar foliage popping out - a penny for your thoughts on what IT is...

Is the second pic Blackgum?

Ding, ding for Resin - that is indeed Yellowhorn.

killda also scored a roundtripper - that is Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire' displaying its wares.

VV, is that your tree?

That image is from a tree growing in a Louisville neighborhood, planted 6-8 years ago.

I have more than half a dozen of these here at the Valley, too. Mine are not quite as far along as the one in (warmer) Louisville.

Is the Wildfire' moniker for it's spring foliage only?
Is the fall color unusally nice also?

'Wildfire' new foliage emerges like in the image, whether it is new spring growth or on new stem growth of the season. That's a pretty sight in summer.

Fall hues are dazzling, but not singular in tone. Reds, oranges, and yellows mix in a cacophony of color.

Do those have to be grafted? Or can they be propagated by seeds and cuttings?

If you want the same plant ('Wildfire', or any other named selection), you pretty much need a grafted or budded plant. A quick glance at Dirr notes that he has had no success with cuttings, but he describes a report that produced some success with this method.

Seeds will give you mixed genetics (almost necessarily) since Nyssa species are primarily dioecious or at least polygamo-dioecious. I haven't watched closely to determine that characteristic on 'Wildfire' (yet), but I'm planning to do so this year for each of the selections I have here at the Valley.

Those include:

**Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire'
**Nyssa sylvatica Red Rage™
**Nyssa sylvatica Fire Master™
**Nyssa sylvatica Zydeco Twist™
**Nyssa sylvatica seedlings (at least 8 different)

As I can make a definite determination, I'll post in PlantFiles for the benefit of others. These trees can be very handsome in fruit - at least till the birds notice.

VV, where do you find those varieties?

I found mine from a nursery that just went out of business. Wasn't too far from you, in fact - out in Murray KY.

Fire Master™ was his selection. Red Rage™ is being mass-produced now by Schmidt's. I assume 'Wildfire' could be found at more retail places by now. Zydeco Twist™ is the freak in the bunch - I've not seen it often.

Would you be after all of them, or one in particular?

I'd be after all of them if I could afford them. I tried establishing the regular species but it died from drought in the place I had it. I don't know if its replacement is going to come out. It's still in a pot.
But I will have Blackgums soon. It's a shame I don't already have one what with all the other natives I grow.

Yes - I am consumed with righteous indignation. For shame, indeed.

If we ever cross paths, maybe I could be persuaded to part with some of my bounty...

Cool. Feel free to cross my path anytime. Maybe I've got some stuff to swap ya. ;-)