Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum => Topic started by: John85 on September 19, 2012, 08:01:12 AM
-
About Mutisia oligodon
How hardy is it?On the web I saw 9b.I guess it is much colder than that in Aberdeen.
Do you treat it as a dalhia tuber?
-
The Mutisia has grown up our south facing wall for well over 25 years through some very cold winters. It has certainly been down to -20C once and -15C on a regular basis.
In the situation we have it I would consider it to be fully hardy.
It grows vigerously and needs a good cut back every winter.
-
It is a tough plant, John. The year we had temperatures of minus 19 to minus 20 for days on end it was fine. It can be in flower in December with icicles hanging from it.
It does not set much in the way of viable seed, however, which has always been a disappointment.
Cuttings are a bit hit and miss, too. Or perhaps we never pay them enough attention!
-
Thank You Ian and Maggi
That is very good news as it is much milder here(a few days with -6 or -8°c).
Do you think you have an very hardy clone?Or is the information on the web not a good one?
I remember many years ago it was the same with Helleborus corsicus(now argutifolius):some clones were killed by a light frost ,some resisted -15°c
-
I think that this may be a particularly good, hardy clone, John. It came from a plant grown from seed originally collected by the late Colonel and Mrs Anderson of Balruddery, near Dundee, and while they were able to grow many things in their garden** that would object o life here in Aberdeen, they had a good eye for a great plant!
** They grew Asteranthera ovata and Mitraria coccinea very successfully on mossy tree stumps in a wooded valley and Rhodohypoxis outside all year in a trough..... :)