Dividing Jeffersonia dubia

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Arrowhead Alpines is our beloved specialty nursery in Michigan with extensive offerings.  It was very sad to lose Bob this past December.   

I also had a chance to see Brigitta's J. dubia in flowers and just could not get over it.  I have been lusting for one ever since and I finally was able to buy one from a Japanese vendor this February when I was in Japan.  It was very tough to wash soil from its massive roots for inspection.  Reading this thread talking about J. dubia not liking its roots to be bothered is making me very nervous.

Koko 

[pontus]

i was just told by an expert grower in canada that jeffersonia dubia hates being devided, and should not be devided unless its a matter of lief and death....if devided, it will most likely die, or not do well at all.

Your plant is stunning, i would advise to leave it as it is and enjoy its amazing display for many more years.

after searching since 2007, i have finally found 1 or 2 sources for jeffersonia dubia that sell fairly good quality plants, although these take 1 yeasr to establish...so if you want more jeffersonia dubia, they can be found in specialist nurseries...so i would advise not to devide yours.

Pontus

[TheOnionMan]

i was just told by an expert grower in canada that jeffersonia dubia hates being devided, and should not be devided unless its a matter of lief and death....if devided, it will most likely die, or not do well at all.

As I mentioned above, I divided a couple large clumps in late summer, and they established just fine without difficulty or setback.  Also, they're very easy from seed; small plants can flower the third year from seed.

1.   Seed flats of J. dubia.
2.   Seed flats of J. diphyllum
3.   Sown-in-place J. dubia, seedlings entering their 2nd year.
4.   Self-sown J. dubia seedling, which I believe to be a 2nd year seedling.

[David Nicholson]

The RHS Plant Finder lists 16 UK suppliers for Jeffersonia dubia and 18 for J. diphylla.

I bought a dubia at last years South West AGS Show and planted it out in a heavily shaded peaty bed, it was in flower and continued to flower well. This year it has sulked in the flowering department but the leaf looks OK. This year I bought another and this time planted it out in ordinery, gritty garden soil in half shade. Next year will tell!

[ronm]

Rick,
 
Its not that decent a clump yet so don't even think about dividing it! Why are you considering this drastic action ... selling? disease? I don't think so. Maybe let it grow?

I grow a lot of  J. diphylla and dubia, and they resent being messed with.

Enjoy it as it is, unless you have a reason to mess with it!

[David Nicholson]

You feeling "liverish" tonight Ron?

[ronm]

Possibly... but a little thick too?

Explain Oh OK .  I didn't mean to be "liverish". Apologies/

[mark smyth]

My Jeffersonia seeds never germinate - in pots nor self sown

[Jonny_SE]

5 years old seedling....

[Tony Willis]

My Jeffersonia seeds never germinate - in pots nor self sown

Seeds of both species have germinated this spring. They were sown straight from the capsule.

[Lesley Cox]

I think fresh may be the answer for seed. I collect my own of dubia, but true to type, procrastinate as I do with much in my life so that I have literally never had a seed germinate. But year before last a west coast Canadian Forumist send me seed of both dubia and diphylla, fresh from his garden and the former germinated well, nice little plants now. Diphylla hasn't come up though. Same probably applies to Ranzania japonica. Swedish fresh seed has germinated very well.

[TheOnionMan]

Yes Lesley, I think sowing fresh seed is the key, then keeping them just moist enough and kept shaded all summer, and exposed to the elements over winter, and they germinate like cress.

Here's a photo of a Korean form of J. dubia, it differs from the form typically in cultivation by having red ovaries and dark stamens.  I have a flat of seedlings of this one coming along too.

[Lesley Cox]

That red ovary makes for a very attractive plant. It looks quite smiley.

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Mark, Korean form of J. dubia is nice!. 
Also, I did not know but Ronm mentions blue form of J. diphylla.
Are Korean form of J. Dubia and/or blue form of J. Diphylla available in the US?

Koko
 

[TheOnionMan]

Koko, I suspect that Ron's mention of blue and white diphylla was a slip, and dubia was probably what he meant. J. diphylla, as far as I know, is always a white-flowered species, not sure if there are even pink-tinged forms.

Just checking Google images, there are sometimes plants of J. dubia that come up mislabeled as diphylla.  By the way, here's a photo of a lovely purple-leaf form of J. dubia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spellboundgarden/7037459361/