For those of you who enjoy hidden surprises, I stumbled across this shrub in my woods
blooming his little heart out on this beautiful cold autumn day (high mid-40's; I know some of you won't think that's so cold, but it's our coldest day of the season so far). This is disanthus cercidifolius. Flowers are about 1/2 inch across, so you have to look close to see them. Maybe not as flamboyant as some of his brethren, but a nice autumn surprise all the same.
Great pictures! I've read about this shrub, but can't ever recall seeing it in commerce or arboreta. Is it worth seeking out?
"...a magnificent, but rare, plant that is worthy of the discriminating gardener's attention..."
Hmmm - doesn't sound like it's for you.
"...requires a deep, moist, high organic matter soil in light to moderate shade and protection from strong wind..."
That's REALLY not for you.
I have seen this plant rarely, most recently on Martha's Vineyard at the Polly Hill Arboretum thriving in acid sands and zone 7 climes.
It hasn't been fussy for me at all, but I also have to say it's reputed fall color hasn't been as spectacular as advertised. I'm waiting patiently to see if maturity improves things.
Well, with hidden surprises like that on Nov 1, I might be OK without the leaves turning-in fact maybe it would hide the show.
The leaves really are the show.
Here's the plant from Polly Hill (October 23, 2009)...
I have a few of these plants scattered around the wooded area of my yard - at the end of the season, I'm not as often out there, so may be missing their show. Here's one of mine showing some fall color. The flowering one I showed above is actually a variegated cultivar called ena nishiki. It has white variegation around the leaf. Another cultivar called mine-no-yuki had nice velvety yellowish leaves, but it petered out on me. It had a really nice subtle orange fall color, but alas is no more.
Spectacular, I love fall flowers! Thanks so much for sharing.
Oooh, that IS a show. Dang, another one to find room for...
have a couple of those here - need to see if have bloomed.
Weerobin, you should've tested us by posting what great fall color your Redbuds have. Those of you who truly understand plants would've figured it out quickly, but it sure looks like redbud to me. :)
We're looking forward to see if yours have bloomed too Wha.
Has anybody seen weeping varieties? Wee, does the variegated leaf look good in the fall too?
I have two of the variegated plants; the flowering one has already dropped it's leaves completely without me noticing whether it's fall color was nice or not. I'm not the greatest observer. The other one still has it's leaves without appreciable fall color yet. Not sure why it's a couple weeks behind the other one, but I presume due to siting/exposure/soil factors.
Thanks for the input...much obliged.
Wee:
You need an intern to put reminders on your calendar or tickler file...
October 25: "See if Disanthus cercidifolius species and clones are showing fall color."
November 1: "See if Ginkgo biloba has dropped every last leaf after sudden fall rain shower.
Etc.
I like the idea. I'll get right on it.
LOL -- that's funny.
wee - do you have a variegated Disanthus cercidifolius species or redbud?
The variegated shrubs shown above are both disanthus cercidifolius.
I received a cercis canadensis Silver Cloud a number of years ago as a bonus prize from a nursery to entice me to continue my annual over-ordering - it's never done much for me.
Just looks like a redbud with a social disease.
Allegedly, the next great thing on the Cercis horizon is Louisville's very own...
Cercis canadensis 'Alley Cat'
Don't have to believe me - ask Rich Hesselein at Pleasant Run Nursery.
http://www.pleasantrunnursery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/2057/index.htm
Kicks all those other white-variegated heartleafed pretenders into the Bushes...
We were discussing this plant on the Perennials forum in the Garden Design thread - yesterday! Rosemary was considering several plants and this was one, along with the enkianthus. Wow, that woman has taste! I had never heard of it but when I look for articles they were everywhere. A garden writer proposed it, fothergilla gardenii, enkianthus perulatus, itea virginia, aronia arbutifolia and vaccinium as alternatives to your basic burning bush, although his wife adored the latter and it was the only thing that got her into the garden.
The article had gorgeous pictures:
http://allanbecker-gardenguru.squarespace.com/journal/2010/1/10/beware-of-burning-bushes-or-flaming-foliage-for-fall.html
I ended the day by ordering 3 fothergilla Mt. Airy, realizing how much I missed my fothergilla gardenii from my previous home. I had five, and I loved them. I'm getting the bigger ones (ordered them from Plant and Gnome) to complete the obliteration of a chain link fence, a process begun by getting 7 delicious viburnums last spring from Gary and Sue Ladman at Classic Viburnums.
Key word = 'delicious'...
Good luck with the viburnums. I added V. nudum 'Winterthur' to my small viburnum collection this year. If it survives winter, I'll be adding a companion next year. Very nice fall color on this shrub.
Did someone mention fothergilla? Here are a couple shots of my fothergilla gardenii last this past weekend. He really put on a show this year!
looks like I missed the flower show on one plant the other looks to be getting started.
Wee I though the variegated picture was of silver cloud - will have to check it out.
Delicious indeed!
They have been wonderful since they arrived earlier this year..
2 trilobum compactum 'Spring Green': previously owned
A prunifolium 'Forest Rouge': I had a species, not a cultivar
A dentatum 'Chicago Lustre': a favorite from home - a five gallon, all the others being 2
A Sargentii 'Chiquita' suggested a substitute for an opulus
And a few weeks later, two different compact carlesis that he and Sue hybridized that are not yet in commerce!
I will never buy a viburnum from anyone else!
Dang.
I guess all my extras shall have to go in the trash...
ok i am going to change subject a bit here. have taken a bunch of japanese maples pictures, it been a colorful year - follow the link if interested.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1380320/
Wow, wha. That was quite a colorful show. Thanks.
Beautiful show Wha.
VV, you are hilarious. I don't think you will have ANY problems!
Wow Wha, Wee, VV...lol!
Lovely photos, then my laugh for the day!
Here are some more that I'll never sell to ANYBODY, since all business nowadays heads west...
Forgive my ignorance, but I wasn't sure you WERE a seller. You were always so enthusiastic about Classic Viburnums that I felt encouraged to investigate, and ultimately buy from them.
But Holy Cow! What is the first one?
Much of this is in jest - since your emphatic statement above. Sort of a back-handed way of saying "no matter how good any source may be, there are other fish in the sea". Keep your eyes open...
I don't promote personal business on the forums, because that's improper and would be self-serving. I will continue to expound upon the merits of great plants wherever they may be found. To wit:
**Viburnum dilatatum Holy Cow™ - at your service...
Oh, but you are the reason my eyes were open! I had never HEARD of Classic Viburnums, although I might have if I had looked more carefully at Dirr's viburnum book, which I own.
I like very much finding sources where I can, and with your help I found this one. I almost never buy plants locally because Illinois is not a great plant source. Shrubs tend to be not terribly good and/or expensive. I used to rely heavily on Milaegers in Racine, Wisconsin, particularly for trees, but as new home ownership declined they were obliged to reduce their presentations to what would sell. They no longer, for example, carry old garden roses. They once had a great selection.
Forest Farm rocks, and there are many of their plants in my yard, and I found Munchkin Nursery and Plant and Gnome a while back. We are losing a few of the great ones. Pickering Nursery, a great source for me, is packing it up for at least a couple of years. I am so happy that I placed an order last year. Munchkin is going on hiatus.
Finding a great source with a truly wide selections (200 plus viburnums, some unique to them) with reasonable shipping costs is fabulous. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
Viburnum dilatatum Holy Cow - LOL!!!
'Holy Cow' is something with it's bounteous berry show -- great photo's BTW. What is the little burgundy beaut in the middle VV?
While some people may go for the gaudy displays of fructicious excess amply exampled above, others of us appreciate more delicate charms to be found in the garden, such as the following offering: ilex serrate Koshobai. It's all of 2ft tall (after 10 years of maturity). It's berries are tiny - maybe an eighth of an inch diam. I tried to hold a maple leaf next to it for size comparison - pretty tricky trying to focus & shoot the camera one-handed while trying to focus on both... At any rate, a more subtle charm for fall.
This weekend may be the last hurrah for fall color around here, since lows are supposed to hit 20 by midweek. I suspect that might herald the end of the color parade. So I thought I'd post some fall color from this weekend to carry me through 'til next season.
Here are:
#1 cotinus obovata
#2 pistachia chinense
#3 asimina triloba in foreground with koelreuteria bipinnata in the background. This koelreuteria has striking pink seed pods held on the tips of the branches and really looks like a flowering tree for most of the late summer/fall. The picture doesn't do it justice.
#4 acer mono
#5 dueling malus berries (m sargentii Tina in the orange, m Camelot Series in the red).
