Polygonatum 2012

Polygonatum verticillatum(?) and friends.  The individual plant spreads and multiplies, but never gets very tall.  From a potted acquisition, in the four full seasons I have had it, it has not flowered. ???

Thanks Ernie for starting this topic, it's such an interesting and ornamental group of plants.  I only have a few, but they are so endearing based on their form and foliage.  At our annual NARGS New England Chapter rare plant auction, several Polygonatum species auctioned for sky-high prices :)  I bid on several of them, but my wallet said no in each case, except for one that was termed as aggressive which I bought for $5  (can't remember the name, will need to check in daylight).

Rick, P. virticillatum looks nice, how tall does it grow? Whenever dealing with these plants, one must answer "how aggressively does it spread".

My P. verticillatum(?) only gets to be about two feet, but I know Trond's grows much larger - something like double the height, I think(?) ???

What's the horizontal rate of spread?

My original plant of P. verticillatum(?) came from the Flower Factory in Wisconsin. They are reputable, but don't grow all of their plant materials themselves.  Mark, you see the whole plant there, and from a 1.5 quart pot with five stalks when planted, this is its fifth season.  It grows in filtered sun under an Autumn Brilliance serviceberry (Amelanchier cultivar).

Thanks for all the photos, Ernie.  For me at least, non-flowering descriptions are just as important as flowering or fruiting.  A plant's entire growth cycle is interesting to me.

Ernie, you could be right about a misnaming.  I was going to say that, given its small size for the species verticillatum, that it would seem reasonable for it not yet to have flowered.  But...  I just went out and checked it again, and several stalks have tiny flower buds. 8)  This pic taken just now, the tallest stalk is 17 inches.  The previous pic was taken on 24 April.  With flowers this season, I'll have a better chance of keying it out.  

RickR wrote:

My P. verticillatum(?) only gets to be about two feet, but I know Trond's grows much larger - something like double the height, I think(?) ???

Depends on the soil and moisture. They love moist soil. But they flower every year  ;)

McDonough wrote:

What's the horizontal rate of spread?

The rate of spread isn't very quick (10cm/year or so) but steady. In some years it fill all available space.

My Polygonatums and Maianthemums as well haven't leafed out yet. The progress is slow with the cold nights we still have. We ought to have a Maianthemum thread too!

Tim, Polygonatum x hybridum 'Betberg'  is wonderful!  I imagine a mature multi-stemmed clump would make a bold impression in the garden.

RickR wrote:

Polygonatum verticillatum(?) and friends.  The individual plant spreads and multiplies, but never gets very tall.  From a potted acquisition, in the four full seasons I have had it, it has not flowered. ???       

No flowers yet but buds on my Polygonatum verticillatum. This is the real, native thing!

Bought this Polygonatum at a local NARGS New England Chapter plant auction, labeled as P. mandshuricum, although I can not find any reference to such a species, no names that are even close.  Any one know know what species it might be.  It is described as very low growing and somewhat aggressive spreading.

Polygonatum multiflorum is naturalised in my woodland - the slugs don't like it! Bad pictures but it is very shady underneath the rhododendron canopy.

I had this as Polygonatum humile but was told it was too large (at up to about 20 cm), but I see in this thread that it comes in different sizes. Hope someone can confirm or otherwise.

Thanks

The first flowers have opened on a plant which is very similar to P verticillatum. The leaves have another colour though and the plant is much bigger.

The first two are the unknown, the third is verticillatum.

I have also a pink one, bought from Larz Danielsson in Sweden as sp from China!

Awesome!  Thanks Aaron, you're certainly off to a great start with those pages.  Have only had a brief look around so far, will peruse it in greater detail over the weekend.  Who knew that such treasures as the tiny Disporopsis jinfushanensis existed, you've got me hooked on these wonderful plants.

The site is really well organized and cleanly presented, congratulations!

Hi Aaron, seems it is quite a while since I visited this thread! Thank you for your suggestions.
The only Polygonatum I can provide with a known provenance is P. verticillatum. But surely you have lots of it?

A local nurseryman, Leo Blanchette (Carlisle. MA) grows a great number of Polygonatum, including the many named forms of odoratum.  One that he selected as a nursery seedling, is named P. odoratum 'Carlisle'. In my opinion it is the best form out there, not only for the beautiful and ample variegation, but for its low stature (14-16").  For those who are fans of variegated Polygonatum, rate 'Carlisle' as good as, if not better than 'Double Stuff'.  Take a look at many desirable and unique Polygonatum odoratum forms at Plant Delights Nursery, including 'Double Stuff'.  This cultivar was only introduced commercially in 2011, thus probably still hard to come by.

Polygonatum at Plant Delights Nursery:
http://www.plantdelights.com/Polygonatum/products/299/

P. odoratum 'Carlisle' bed at Joe Pye Weed's Garden & nursery, run by breeders of extraordinary Siberian Iris, Marty Schafer, and Jan Sacks, nearby here in Massachusetts, http://www.jpwflowers.com/

P. odoratum 'Carlisle' in my garden 2011, has not spread yet.

P. odoratum 'Carlisle', autumn color:

I am no fan of variegated plants in general but that 'Carlisle' looks very handsome though!

Lis, I don't grow it in the garden as it is a native plant here (however I am planning to move it into the garden). It is abundant at my summerhouse where it seems to prefere growing in crevices in the rocks where it is abundant water in the spring but drier later i the summer. When some of the plants have their roots deep in the crevice they make huge mats on very shallow soil, like this:

I forgot to say it takes some shade too like in an open wood.