Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: rosa on February 13, 2014, 11:26:44 AM
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I would be grateful to hear from any member who has raised any megaherbs from seed, also from anybody who would like to exchange any other information on megaherbs. Here's my experience so far:
I've grown Bulbinella rossii for many years in the Shetland Islands. My plant came from Mr. Lawson, who ran Jack Drake nursery for a number of years. He'd raised it from seed, collected in the wild and given him by the late David Given, a N.Z. botanist. Division only works in late winter/early spring during cool and damp weather and the moved plants are slow to establish/increase.
I received seed of B. rossii and Anisotome latifolia from N.Z. in spring 2013 and sowed it cold as soon as it arrived. A few A. latifolia germinated late last summer, then turned yellow and died off soon after the first leaves had been formed. I'm hoping that this was some natural process, i.e. the time of year for the plant to die down, rather than some disease or a failing on my part.
I inspected the sowings, left outside over winter, the other day and quite a few anisotomes have germinated. No sign of B. rossii. We've had a very mild and wet winter, no snow or frost. Wondering if I should give these sowings a 'cold' spell and at what temperature?
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I can't help at all with any information here but did once raise a few Stilbocarpa from seed from Invermay Agricultural Research Centre here near Dunedin. I no longer have them but they are occasionally seen in Dunedin gardens and I believe the Dunedin Botanic Gardens have some. (I saw some a few days ago and I think that was where they were.) You could maybe contact DBG for information and perhaps seed. They have also had plantings of the pink-flowered giant Anisotome too, a spectacular plant in bloom. You are very lucky to have Bulbinella rossii which does grow in the occasional garden on the far south coast of NZ, brought back so far as I know by fishermen, from the subantarctic island but all these species are strongly protected now as are the islands themselves.
David Given was a much respected botanist here, a man held in great affection by his colleagues and friends. I couldn't claim to be one as I didn't know him well enough but he was one of my nursery's customers over the years before he died, much too young and a great loss to the NZ plant community.
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Just looked up Bulbinella rossii and see that Plant World Seeds has stock.
http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/3172?itemname=BULBINELLA+ROSSII (http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/3172?itemname=BULBINELLA+ROSSII)
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Thanks Margaret,
I know about this. Have tried B. rossii seed from commercial sources twice before, paid a fortune and had zero germination. Still hopeful about my present sowings - inspecting them with a magnifying glass at least once a day....... such is passion - or is it impatience?
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Rosa - It is so heartening to hear that you are having luck and the megaherbs are growable elswhere. What an inbcredible group they are, everyone should google images of them. The plants certainly need some backups off island and out of hemisphere.
An Irish friend loaned me a book on Campbell Island but darned if I can find the title.
johnw
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I tried to source NZ megaherb seed for a northern hemisphere freind a few yeras ago only to find that were restrictions on collection and distribution of seed.
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I'm unfamiliar with the term "megaherb". Anyone have a simple and easy description for me?
Thanks. Always good to learn something new.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaherb (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaherb)
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A term given to some giant plants endemic to the New Zealand Islands - basically giant forms of plants that are seen elsewhere in much reduced scale.
This is interesting, I think : https://www.plantexplorers.com/explorers/biographies/hooker/megaherbs.htm (https://www.plantexplorers.com/explorers/biographies/hooker/megaherbs.htm)
Edit : Think "wooly mammoth" of plant world!
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Thanks to both of you for those links. Very useful the both of them.
Fascinating to see the re-emergence of so many plants that were thought lost. Great to see so much success.
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New Zealand subantarctic megaherbs are extremely difficult to grow. They require cool, moist and basically frost-free conditions. The large leaves are thought to be an adaptation to low light intensity; ie when it is drizzling or blowing most of the year there is not a lot of ambient sunlight. It is not possible to collect seed from the wild and our Department of Conservation severely discourages people from doing so. Stilbocarpa is in cultivation but seed is seldom available and is difficult to germinate. Anisotome latifolia and Bulbinella rossii have been successfully grown in Dunedin but the east coast of the South Island often experiences summer drought which usually kills these plants. Because of this seed is not readily available.
However the Chatham Island for-get-me not (Myosotidium hortensia) is easy to grow and seed is readily available. It qualifies as a megaherb. Another plant that may be worth trying is Myosotis capitata, a subantarctic forget-me not with blue flowers. If you stretch the definition a bit plants like Ranunculus lyallii and Celmisia semicordata may also be considered megaherbs. Another plant that could fit the definition and is easy to source and grow is Aciphylla dieffenbachii from the Chatham Islands.
Unfortunately Anisotome latifolia is evergreen so your plants have died.
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Garden centres in Auckland always have the Chatham Island for-get-me-not (Myosotidium hortensia), but I seem to have acquired the required skill to kill each one I have tried to grow. :(
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fascinating things! The only one I've seen is the Chatham Island for-get-me-not at the Oxford Botanic Gardens (and maybe at Wisley)
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Paul, the Wikipedia entry says it all really. In general we here think of the megaherbs as inhabitants of the subantarctic islands, as David says, as does the article in Wikipedia but mega being big, the Myosotidium also qualifies though we don't seem here, to apply the term to it. Perhaps because it IS so easy to grow while the others, if available at all, are the very devil.
There are also many much smaller species on the subantarctic island such as Gentianella and others and Myosotis capitata which is glorious and I've found it very easy to grow and flower but virtually monocarpic. The gentianellas come in wonderful colours not usually associated with NZ natives. All, along with the megaherbs are highly protected nowadays so a source of seed is, I imagine, non-existant.
As for the Chatham Island forget-me-not, I have clumps in my new garden under camellias where they were moist in the spring and early summer but now are bone dry. During the day they wilt (helped no doubt by 3 chooks scratching among them) but overnight they perk up to be fresh and crisp again by morning. This same area has an enormous pear tree (the blackbirds are eating those way before they are ripe) among whose branches Tropaeolum speciosum is making sheets of flame at present. First, and unexpected frrost this morning! :o :o :o
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Frost already Lesley? Yikes! When it your first frost normally?
I've recently bought a Chatham Island Forgetmenot to have another attempt at not killing it. I've had no successful attemps at this so far. I know of someone up in the southern highlands grows it in their shady bog garden where it seeds around. I wish!! I have no shady bog garden though.
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I think I read (maybe in the Archibald catalogue) that it likes alot of rotting vegetable matter. In the Oxford Botanic Garden it's in a deeply shaded corner, high walls each side and had lots of garden compost on it.
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Cool, thanks for that info. I'm trying to work out whether to keep in a pot or put it into the fernery and try to keep it extra watered. The fernery is not as moist as the name might imply. Mostly tougher, hardier ferns.
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Myosotidium hortensia is a great garden plant especially if you have favourable conditions for it. ;)
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However you need to be careful that weeds like nettles and sow thistles do not get out of control.
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Gardening with megaherbs can bring its own problems.
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I wish I had space to grow nettles. I tried Urtica ferox in a pot, but it died after two years. I still don't understand why they don't grow it in the wild areas at Butterfly Creek, the butterfly 'farm' (actually they are banned from breeding the tropical butterflies, so farm it isn't) by Auckland Airport! The NZ red and yellow admiral butterflies need all the help they can get. I've seen one yellow admiral this year!
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I wish I had space to grow nettles.
I never thought I'd hear anyone say that!
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All you need is some megatulips to go with that border of Myositidium and you'd end up with a new type of bedding scheme on a bigger scale than using forget-me-nots! What a fantastic sight - I've grown Myositidium in the past from JJA seed, and tried Anisotome latifolia (without success), and they are extraordinarily interesting plants.
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Frost already Lesley? Yikes! When it your first frost normally?
I've recently bought a Chatham Island Forgetmenot to have another attempt at not killing it. I've had no successful attemps at this so far. I know of someone up in the southern highlands grows it in their shady bog garden where it seeds around. I wish!! I have no shady bog garden though.
Hi Paul, Pleased you're back with us again. :) Our frosts usually start late autumn, maybe April/May depending on the season and I remember a few years ago not having any at all until well into July but that is rare. It's not just the new, more southerly garden as last year there had been none by the time I left for Europe in late April and when I was home again in late May, Roger said there had been just a couple. It's been a cooler year altogether in the south, since the very wet late winter of 2013. But primulas and other cool things have loved it. ;)
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The NZ red and yellow admiral butterflies need all the help they can get. I've seen one yellow admiral this year!
Anthony, we had masses of yellow admirals this year, or rather, late in 2013, from October onwards until the end and in January. Not so many now but a few red. The yellows were sometimes 6 at a time around the edges of the bowls which catch the sugar water Roger puts out in bottles for the bellbirds and tuis. Sometimes as I walked up the path to the back door, I had to wave them out of my face there were so many. We have a few regular nettles behind the garage where the chooks have their night quarters but I didn't see any eggs or caterpillars on them.
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Tim, I would like to find out more about your lack of success with Anisotome latifolia - my seed of this and Bulbinella rossii germinating from spring 2013 sowings. Any advice on how to proceed gratefully received.
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Rosa - the seed I had of Anisotome latifolia was not really fresh but Jim sent me a large batch in the hope of just a little germinating. Generally umbellifers do much better from freshly collected seed even if they don't germinate until after a cooler period. All I can suggest is that you grow the plants in as cool and humid conditions as possible - I would love to hear how you get on with it (and the Bulbinella).
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Those Chatham Island Forgetmenots I mentioned getting a little while back are already looking sad. I think I'll repot them and see if that helps. lol
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Anyone that have tried megaherbs in Norway? Seems that the climate is rather similar to the coastal environment in Western parts of Norway with humid cool summers and frost free winters!?!
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Anyone that have tried megaherbs in Norway? Seems that the climate is rather similar to the coastal environment in Western parts of Norway with humid cool summers and frost free winters!?!
Good question! It seems that some Norwegian members have not been around here much lately, but I hope you will get an answer.
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The value of being 'big, dark & hairy' on sub-Antarctic islands: megaherbs general article here (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161216-the-sub-antarctic-islands-are-home-to-strange-megaherbs), original paper here (http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/26030).
Is it that we have overlooked similar adaptations in the NH?
Ashley, can you expand on your post above please? I'm trying to think of possible far north islands or other habitats with huge plants and nothing comes to mind but I don't know the Arctic flora well enough anyway. There seems to be nothing in the SH equivalent to the northern tundra.
Having said that, maybe the introduced flora in northern Norway (Tromso for example) could be said to resemble a megaherb population. I'm thinking of the meconopsis, cemanthodiums, aconitums and others we've seen in Norwegian gardens.
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Ashley, can you expand on your post above please?
Hardly at all Lesley, but isn't it a fascinating subject? For example Campbell Island at 52.54°S is only slightly closer to the Pole than I am here in Cork, and at similar latitude to e.g. Birmingham, Berlin, Lake Baikal, N Sakhalin/S Kamchatka, S Aleutian Islands, Edmonton & S Labrador. This indicates a similarly low angle of winter sunlight but of course the asymmetrical distribution of landmasses, oceans & oceanic currents between the hemispheres means that other climatic conditions vary greatly. Persistent wind & cloud cover in the sub-antarctic islands that strongly affect growing conditions may be closer to conditions on the windward (west) fringe of southern Chile & Tierra del Fuego but perhaps the outer Aleutian islands and some other places in the NH too.
The original paper (http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/26030) compares NZ sub-antarctic megaherbs with large/hairy-leaved plants at lower latitudes but higher altitude, such as giant lobelia in East Africa or Rheum, Saussurea etc. in the Himalayas. However one obvious difference is temperature range, with much less fluctuation on oceanic islands than on mountains within large landmasses. Nevertheless plants with large pleated leaves come to mind such as Gentiana lutea in European mountains and Veratrum spp. in Alaska or across Eurasia, as well as introduced species from other temperate ‘hyperoceanic’ areas like Gunnera tinctoria from southern Chile that thrive on the fringes of NW Europe. Here’s another interesting article (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2010/07/18/environment/bathing-in-northern-megaherbs/#.WFZhTFwZyCE) with musings about parallels with NZ megaherbs among large-leaved plants in N Japan, the Kurile Islands & Kamchatka. Incidentally the young Kiwi photographer Edin Whitehead has a really wonderful series of travel logs here (http://www.edinz.com/subantarctic/) showing NZ’s sub-antarctic flora and fauna.
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Ashley,
I'd already made a (largely abortive) attempt to look at Auleutian Island flora, prompted by your previous post.
Not really germane, but our local botanic garden does have a small collection of sub-antarctic plants. They're housed in a purpose built building designed to keep the temperatures cool and even (lots of passive measures like a teardrop-shape, insulation, being sunk into the ground, and only a skylight for illumination as well as the refrigeration). Stilbocarpa polaris fits the definition of a megaherb with large pleated leaves, whilst Pleurophyllum hookeri has silvery hairy leaves. http://www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine/2001-2005/issue-1-autumn-2001/in-brief/the-australian-antarctic-foundation-subantarctic-plant-house (http://www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine/2001-2005/issue-1-autumn-2001/in-brief/the-australian-antarctic-foundation-subantarctic-plant-house)
Reproducing the 'look' would be relatively easy with veratrum's, tussocky grasses and the like - all heavily misted.
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Thought this might be of interest.... The sub-Antarctic islands are home to strange 'megaherbs -article - and video for those able to receive it, on the mega-herbs of Campbell Island : http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161216-the-sub-antarctic-islands-are-home-to-strange-megaherbs (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161216-the-sub-antarctic-islands-are-home-to-strange-megaherbs)
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Thanks for drawing attention to this, Maggi, an interesting article and video of an amazing place. Last year I got bulbinella rossii from the seedex. It has not germinated - not yet anyway. It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who tried this seed. Even if it germinates, I'm not sure if Scotland is cold, wet or miserable enough for these megaherbs. Maybe it would survive in Shetland?
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Hi Rosa
Good to see you on the Forum. We grew a couple of Anisotomes successfully at Kerrachar. Like you we failed with the supposed Bulbinella rossii from Plant World. Still growing Myosotidium back in Sheffield but plants in the Botanic Gardens pavilions (conservatory) got swamped after flowering and we haven't flowered it outdoors here though it flowered well at Kerrachar (though never as well as the plants at Inverewe in the shady corner of the walled garden).
I seem to remember an article about the megaherbs which gave the latitude of Campbell Island as the same as Birmingham so I guess what is needed for B.rossii is wind and rain ?