Stachyurus flowers ?

[frits.kp]

Stachyurus are amongst the most spectacular spring flowering shrubs, but they are hardly ever grow in general gardens. so question,  Is my Stachyurus flowering now ? Well no, they begin opening their flowers now until March, but as the winter gets colder the flower opening will stop, and begin again as the weather warms up in spring.

If you would like to know how to grow Stachyurus in your garden, I have produced at high expense to my pocket , a soil experiment with Stachyurus. I have made it freely available to individuals on my web site. You can not reproduce the article without my permission but you are welcome to read the soil experiment.

[frits.kp]

Stachyurus praecox flowers are beginning to open under cover, although not in full flower and I will post better pictures as the season unfolds. S.praecox has a distinctive V shape growth as opposite to the arching growth of S.chinensis.

[frits.kp]

This is Stachyurus chinensis with smaller flowers and of a lighter colour but this is however only a form and should not be used as a rule of identification. S.chinensis generally has a more arching growth and generally a leaf which is broadly ovate in S.chinensis

[frits.kp]

Stachyurus salicifolius is different from the previous two being evergreen, and obviously with willow like leaves. Although growing under cover with me I have one plant outside which has survived some harsh -18c winters. However all my Stachyurus grow away from cold winds and the freestanding, open ground plants always look a little more ragged than the plants growing under protection.
Stachyurus salicifolius has greenish flowers, some people report, "golden yellow flowers" but I have never seen yellow flowers and have often asked for photographic proof, but no one has ever shown me yellow Stachyurus salicifolius.

[frits.kp]

Stachyurus yunnanensis is another evergreen with sulfurous yellow flowers. The flowers are not quite open as yet, I will post the pictures over the next few weeks. The winter foliage is striking, mottling during the autumn and holding this colouration for the winter.

[johnw]

We have always been keen to try this and Chimonanthus here in Nova Scotia.  We tried a reputedl extra hardy form of the Chimonanthus but it did not live up to its reputation, hard to say if cold or the lack of summer heat got it.  The books say Stachyurus is too tender for here. How would you rate the hardiness of the various species?

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Stachyurus salicifolius is different from the previous two being evergreen, and obviously with willow like leaves. Although growing under cover with me I have one plant outside which has survived some harsh -18c winters.

I hope this will prove true for my young plant, it is outside and we are experiencing really low temperatures (for us! -13 the other night).  My fingers are crossed it will survive, I don't mind it looking a bit raggedy this year as long as it comes through

[Susan Owl]

I actually try to establisch Stachyurus praecox in my garden. Last winter (up to - 20 C) it froze back but than sprouted again. I hope it will pass better this winter.

[Tony Willis]

I actually try to establisch Stachyurus praecox in my garden. Last winter (up to - 20 C) it froze back but than sprouted again. I hope it will pass better this winter.

The problem I find is that if it produces early new growth which is then killed by a frost and then sprouts again this growth can then be killed by a late frost and whole branches die off.

However they are wonderful shrubs and worth a try.

This also is the way my rose 'Canarybird' was killed some years ago.

[Garden Prince]

I have a Stachyurus chinensis 'Celina' in my garden for about 8 years now. It is about 3 metres high and about the same width.  It is described as having longer flower spikes as the normal Stachyurus chinensis. Last year all the flowers (still in bud) froze off when the temperature went to - 20 in early February. There was also frost damage to the tips of the branches. Don't know if the high temperatures of January 2012 played a role in killing all the flowerbuds. This year the plant is full with flower buds but I hope the present cold  (- 13 on Wednesday morning) will not kill the flower buds once again.

I have sown Stachyurus chinensis (seed from Chiltern Seeds) a few years ago. The plants were grown in ericaeous compost and did very well the first two years. Unfortunately all my plants died because of the severe frost  last year. I think young plants are not very hardy. Older plants more so but can be damaged by severe frosts (-15 and below). In colder areas a sheltered spot is necessary I think.

For most Dutch gardens this shrub gets to big so I guess that's the reason why you don't see it more often.

Attached is a picture of my Stachyurus chinensis 'Celina' in bloom 2 or 3 years ago.

[frits.kp]

Looking at the picture you posted it does not look like S.chinensis celina to me. I could easily be wrong, I am only going off the picture, but the picture has stems very purple with the new leaf reddish, and long flowers all shout S.praecox in my experience. (I have grown over 50 Stachyurus variations in the last five years.)

seedlings at this stage are very vulnerable but once they are one year old they are much tougher, as long as you avoid the cold wind. Just to add that I also bought seeds from Chiltern seeds and they arrived completely dried up, I did sow them but knew I was wasting my time. I now collect plenty of fresh seed from my plants, sown in Aug Sept they germinate with bottom heat during the winter and make 30-40cm growth in one year.

[frits.kp]

I often read "Stachyurus flowers have racemes of flowers" while there are the occasional flower exhibiting racemes the vast majority of Stachyurus flowers are spikes. It is so rare to fine a Stachyurus raceme flowers that it took five years to fine one plant.

We can say, generally Stachyurus flowers are spikes.

[frits.kp]

While we are having fun with the flowers we could discuss the literature citing "Stachyurus flowers are hermaphrodite" Well some stachyurus plants / flowers are monoecious some plants are dioecious, with male and female on different plants, some plants have male and female parts, monoecious but the male part is incapable of producing pollen and some Stachyurus plants have male and female, monoecious but the female parts are not receptive. Confused, I was.

[Garden Prince]

Looking at the picture you posted it does not look like S.chinensis celina to me.

My Stachyurus has an arching growth, not V-shaped. I prune it otherwise it becomes to big. It was bought from Esveld in Boskoop (this does of course not necessarily mean that it is the right species!).

How can one see that it is S. praecox or S. chinensis?