THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SHADE AND WOODLAND GROUP October 2019

Plant of the Month: Patrinia gibbosa Joe Sime

This is an unassuming small perennial growing to about 18 ins high and across. In summer it covers itself in sprays of bright yellow flowers. These are replaced in autumn by small winged seeds which make an interesting show. The are attractive, being deep green and lobed. They turn red and yellow in late autumn.It comes from Japan, and in nature is found in open, sunny sites. However, in my experience it does very well in shade, lighting up a corner in summer and adding interest in autumn. It does like a good humous soil and can look a bit straggly if the soil is poor. I bought my original in 2000 and it is still alive. It self seeds gently and its descendants are planted in a few places around the garden. It is easy from seed which is usually available Seeds close up from the seed exchange. Bulbs in the Wood

This is an early call for volunteers to help write the special edition of Shade Monthly for December 2020.

The idea is to devote the issue to woodland plants that come from bulbs, corms or tubers. I need at least 10 volunteers (20 would be better) who will write a short piece, with photos, on their chosen subject. The call for volunteers is so early so that you will have a chance to take photos at the best time of year for your chosen plant (some flower very late/early in the year).

To give you some inspiration here are a few of the genera that could provide subjects: galanthus, cardiocrinum, arisaema, arum, lilium, bulbous corydalis, nomocharis, erythronium etc, etc. Feel free to be specific (a single variety) or write about a group of related plants.

If you are willing to have a go, send me ([email protected]) your name and chosen subject by the end of December this year.

(No volunteers, then no special issue in 2020)

An Apology

I must apologise for a mistake in the last edition. I attributed the account of the garden visit at the AGM to Pete and Julie Williams. It was actually written by Pat and Henry Woolston.

A Plant with Presence: Bergenia ‘XXL’

I think I mentioned this superb hybrid in last December’s special issue on the ‘heucheroids’. It was selected by Bob Brown of Cotswold Garden Flowers. They rightly point out the unique ‘semi double’ flowers, but it is worth growing for the foliage alone. I had mine from Bob in early 2013, and it has settled well into a partly shaded site on a slight slope. Its main flowering period is the spring, but late season flowers serve to set off the foliage at its peak in early autumn.

Available Seed

As usual in October, we close down our seed exchange whilst the main HPS Seed Distribution Scheme is in operation.

We will reopen with late ripening seeds next month; however Colin Crewe has just sent in some interesting seed which will be better sown fresh. if you want any send a SAE to S.J. Sime, Park Cottage, Penley, LL13 0LS.

Roscoea scillifolia f. atropurpurea

Roscoea tibetica

Roscoea wardii short form ex Roscoea ‘Harvington Royale’ ex f. lutea ex Roscoea humeana f. alba ex Roscoea ‘Snow Queen’ hybrid ex Roscoea cauteloides ‘Nguluko Village’ ex Roscoea cauteloides ‘Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’ ex ‘Pennine Purple’

Plant List from Colin Ward’s Talk

If any of you are still struggling to read your scribbled notes from the AGM here is a list of the plants that Colin talked about.

Woodland Shade 2019 AGM

Saxifraga stolonoifera Kinki Purple Anemonopsis macrophylla Chloranthes fortunei Domino Chloranthes japonica Chloranthes oldhamii Actaea pacypoda Misty Blue Clematis fusca coreana BSWJ8431 Clematis stans Clematis urticifolia Ophiopogon chingii Ophiopogon planiscarpus Kansu Reineckea incurva Crug's linear BSJ8029 Disporoopsis fuscopicta Maianthemum scillodeum BSWJ10407 Maianthemum oleraceum Maianthemum aff salvinii Maianthemum racemosa Maianthemum henryi Maianthemum stellatum San Luis Obsico viridescens BSWJ4598 Disporum longistylum Night Heron Disporum cantonienseDisporum smiliacium Koutei Poygonatum mengtenzse f. tonkinensis BSWJ8231 Polygonatum curvistylum Polygonatum involucratum shirt shiva fu Polygonatum odoratum byakko Polygonatum Betburg amplexicaulis langinosa Saruma henryi Thunbergia fragrans GWJ9441 Celastrus orbiculatus Lychnis cognata BSWJ4234 Patrina gibbosa BSWJ10814 Patrina monandra Pinellia tripartita Arisaema flavum Aralia cachemerica Aralia decaisneana BSWJ9910 Decaisnea fargesii Epipactis gigantea Epipactis palustris Epipactis gigantea Serpentine Night Hydrangea involucrata multiplex Hydrangea chinensis Golden Crane Hydrangea aspera The Ditch Hydrangea aspera kawakamii Hydrangea Ayesha Hydrangea paniculata pastel green Schizophragma hydrangeoides Moonlight Aspidistra daubinensis BSWJ6866 Aspidistra zongbayi Uan Fat Lady Aspidistra longloba Tratvetteria caroliniensis v. occidentalis Tricyrtis WhiteTowers Tricyrtis latifolia BSWJ10996 Tricyrtis togen Tricyrtis Blue Shing Toad Veronicastrum latifolium BWJ8158 Pterostyrax hispida Aconitum Russian Yellow Podophyllum Spotty Dotty Meehania urticifolia BSWJ1210 Impatiens flanaganae Imatiens Cally Red Stachyurus chinensis Joy Forever Tolmiea menziesii Cool Gold Helwingia narrow leaf Paris incompleta Serratula bulgarica Tetradium danellii Ypsilandra thibetica Thalictrum delavayi v. decorum CD&R2135 Veratrum schindleri BSWJ4068 Calycanthus chinensis Vannin HWJK2406 Roscoea gurkha Roscoea purpurea Brown Peacock Syeilesis acontifolia

Name this plant

Name this Plant M******* r*****

‘Herbs perennial. Plant 20-36 cms. brown, thick, scaly. Leaves all basal, 7-15.5 cm, glabrous; leaf blade 10-14.3 × 12-14.5 cm; lobes subovate, both surfaces glabrous, apex acute. Inflorescence 1-14 cm, sparsely glandular hairy; axillary branches to 10 cm; pedicels glandular hairy. Hypanthium glandular hairy. white, ovate-oblong, 3-5 × ca. 2 mm, glabrous, 1-veined. white, lanceolate, ca. 2.5 × 1 mm, 1-veined. ca. 2 mm. Carpels ca. 4 mm. Capsule ca. 7.5 mm; carpels recurved in fruit. May-Jul rocky slopes and ravines’

Last month's plant was Arisaema tortuosum. This occurs over a wide area in eastern , and plants from different locations vary from tender to bone hardy and from 1 ft to 6 ft tall.

However as usually met in cultivation it is an upright plant, about 2 ft tall, with a long pseudo- stem, with two leaves at the top, each of which has many leaflets along the rachis. The inflorescence is held above the leaves. The spathe is green and hooded, with the unusual spadix appendage emerging from beneath the hood and curling up above it. Plants in the trade in this country are usually hardy as long as the tuber is planted deeply. Worth a try if you like the unusual.

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SHADE MONTHLY is compiled by Joe Sime and this web-friendly version was produced by Tony Bays.