Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Carlo on February 24, 2009, 10:11:16 PM
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Anyone growing Pentachondra pumila? Botany-photo-of-the-day has shown a fetching photo of it (http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2009/02/pentachondra_pumila.php) and I don't believe I've seen it before. Comments welcome...
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I'm sure there are pictures from various people in the Field Trips in NZ threads Carlo. It's one of our natives as well as Australian, and yes, a delightful little creeping plant. I have some young ones from seed and I'm sure one of us down here could get you some seed if you'd like it, any time now. It has the nice hait of bearing both its little white flowers and the red fruits, at the same time. Seed germinates well and I can't see any reason why they won't grow on as well. Just say the word.
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it is very cute indeed--i like any plant that is tiny... the flowers remind me of single flowers of buckbean (menyanthes)
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I wonder if it would grow in Scotland?
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Or Sweden?
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Or Cheshire?
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and, the reason for my initial post, New York...
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I could say Ottawa too. I don't have high hopes. It would be interesting to find the coldest area it has been planted in and survived.
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Well it is an alpine or high country plant, common and widespread through the country I think and I'm sure would survive in New York, Scotland, Cheshire and Sweden. Judging from Canadian posts to the Forum, maybe Ottawa would be stretching it but maybe not. Here it would normally be under snow for winter. Our highest ever recorded temp for inhabited areas of the country, was -21C.
I haven't been into the hills this summer but Dave and David certainly have and would provide seed for anyone who wanted it, I'm sure. They're probably looking here but I'll put a request for some on the NZ Field Trips thread, just in case.
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Lesely,
Thank you for the info. I know where Carlo is a good bit warmer than here, but I often find for us a healthly layer of snow works as a great protective cover. Poor drainage is often what gets plants here. All that snow melts and puddles, but that is fixable.
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Whew...finally back on-line (love those outages).
It did give me the opportunity to check Mark and Adams "Alpines of New Zealand" which confirmed the desirability of this little plant...and even more so its relative, Cyathodes pumila whose whitish foliage contrasts beautifully with its red berries....
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Cyathodes pumila and Pentachondra pumila are superficially very similar and as they grow in the same subalpine bogs are often confused. Pentachondra pumila is less stringent in its habitat preferences and it not confined to bogs and frequently occurs in grassland.
I am posting pictures of both plants that were taken in the same bog at the same time. I would imagine they are both easy to grow and will tolerate a wide range of climates.
I have not grown them myself as they are widespread and fairly common.
If anyone wants seed please send me an email - I will see what I can manage.
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Thanks David. I knew you'd come to light. That 2nd picture is of a marvellous plant. :)
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Cyathodes pumila and Pentachondra pumila are superficially very similar and as they grow in the same subalpine bogs are often confused. Pentachondra pumila is less stringent in its habitat preferences and it not confined to bogs and frequently occurs in grassland.
these are both great plants--the mixed cushion is especially cool...
cohan
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We grew pentachondra in the raised bed that we used to cal "New Zealand" at the time that bed was quite shaded and thought the plant grew well it did not flower much or fruit. I think it might have done better in more sun here in NE SCotland. When we remade that bed the plant resented the move ..... :-[ :-X
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Maggi,
It most likely did not appreciate the shade. Its natural habitat would be most similar to that favoured by the small Vacciniums or Empetrum nigrum. (translating to the Northern Hemisphere circum- boraeal flora)
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You're right Maggi, more sun would have helped with flowering/fruiting. Most of NZ's alpine bogs are in full sun, usually on exposed, windy hilltops. I don't understand how the top of a hill/mountain can be a bog. Why doesn't the water drain downwards? But it doesn't, and there are many very fine species in these sunny but soggy habitats.
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I was out in the field last weekend seed collecting.Some of the 'usual suspects' were still in bloom--Celmisias ,Gentians and others ---however the most impressive display was from the Pentachondra.
In the area i was visiting the numerous berried patches from a distance had a purplish look to them--the following close up shot shows the true colour of the foliage.
As David has mentioned it is not only found in bogs--most of the plants viewed on Saturday were in exposed rocky sites where at times the soil must get quite dry --although to be frank i doubt that this would have occurred this summer down in the south here.
Cheers dave.
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I am just back from four days in Northern Southland and as Dave said there is still a lot flowering. The plants I saw wer growing in comparatively dry rocky sites. In one place the plant/ plants covered many square metres as a complete carpet.
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I'm sure it would make a lovely plant in a trough? The red berries just add to its charm. 8)
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Fantastic Dave!
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Dave did you think to take some cuttings or rooted bits from that superb plant? I ask because it seems to be a very good form in that the fruit is well exposed above the foliage whereas it often nestles among it, hiding much of the beauty. This one is really very good. Before I read the next posts I thought "Carlo will like that one." :)
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Just to complement Daves photo here is a picture of Pentachondra pumila flowering taken two days ago. No sign of fruit on this plant.
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Still a stunner David...
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Just to complement Daves photo here is a picture of Pentachondra pumila flowering taken two days ago. No sign of fruit on this plant.
it is a really nice plant--in flower OR fruit; really nice foliage on this one, too
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Note to self: " remember to take pic of Dryas octopetala which covers several square metres to the side of a house driveway along the road from my house."
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Note to self: " remember to take pic of Dryas octopetala which covers several square metres to the side of a house driveway along the road from my house."
Not in bloom yet Anthony, surely? ... or is this a long term reminder? :) :)