July | 2011 | landscape architect's pages

Archive | July, 2011

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’

31 Jul

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ (10/07/2011, London)

Position: Full sun to dappled shade

Soil: Moist, well drained soil

Flowering period: Early autumn

Eventual Height: 1.2m

Eventual Spread: 45m

Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Poaceae

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ is a deciduous, perennial grass with a clump forming habit. Its herbaceous foliage is formed from very narrow, upright leaves, which are hairy beneath and often turn bronze. It may, depending on conditions, bear fan shaped panicles of awned, hairy, white spikelets in early autumn.

The species, Miscanthus sinensis, commonly known as Chinese Silver Grass or Eulalia Grass, is native to much of eastern Asia including Korea, China and Japan. Research is currently being carried out in the United States and Great Britain into using this plant for the production of bio-energy.

The etymological root of the binomial name Miscanthus is derived from the Greek miskos meaning ‘stem’ and anthos meaning ‘flower’, referring to the stalked spikelets. Sinensis is derived from the Latin meaning ‘from China’.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ flower (10/07/2011, London)

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ may be useful to the landscape architect as a low maintenance, tall grass. It will make an exceptional impact when planted en masse in windswept sites as its foliage sways in a breeze. It can also form a component in prairie style planing.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ will tolerate almost any soil conditions; it will be happy at neutral, acid or alkaline pH levels, in loam, clay or sand based soils facing any sheltered or exposed aspect. It is also drought tolerant once established.

Ecologically, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ will attract various species of birds that will use it as cover from predators.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ requires little to no maintenance. Dead or damaged material may be removed in spring.

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Autumn interest, Chinese Silver Grass, deciduous, Drought tolerant, Eulalia Grass, garden, Grass, Herbaceous, Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracilimus', Plant of the Week, plants

Heuchera villosa

30 Jul

Heuchera villosa in Flower (08/09/2012, Kew Gardens, London)

Position: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Moist, well drained soil

Flowering period: Summer and autumn

Eventual Height: 50cm

Eventual Spread: 50cm

Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Saxifragaceae

Heuchera villosa is an evergreen perennial with a clump forming habit. Its foliage is mostly basal with chordate leaves that are sharply lobed at the edges and has has hairy leaf petioles and flower stems. Its inflorescence is composed of hermaphroditic, small, tubular white flowers that form open panicles making the flowers appear to hover above the leaves.

Heuchera villosa flower (10/07/2011, Kew Gardens, London)

Heuchera villosa, commonly known as Hairy Alumroot is native to parts of central and eastern North America and is usually found growing on shaded slopes in damp wooded areas.

The etymological root of the binomial name Heuchera was named for Johann Heinrich von Heucher, the 18th century professor of medicine and botanist at Wittenberg, Germany. Villosa is from the Latin meaning ‘velvet’.

The landscape architect may find Heuchera villosa useful as a robust and effective ground cover plant which is drought resistant. This plant is suited to mass plantings on slopes or banks where low maintenance is required, it is also resistant to deer browsing. This plant was located in the 2011 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion designed by Peter Zumpthor with planting by Piet Oudlf.

The Royal Horticultural Society gave the cultivar Heuchera villosa ‘Palace Purple’ their Award of Garden Merit but this was rescinded due to the market being flooded by inferior seedlings that did not conform to the original specimens.

Heuchera villosa will tolerate varied soil conditions; it will be happy at neutral pH levels, in loam or sand based soils in a sheltered or exposed location facing any aspect. The woody rootstock tends to lift out of the ground so it may be mulched annually or lifted and replanted.

Heuchera villosa Leaf (15/08/2015, Kew Gardens, London)

Ecologically, Heuchera villosa will attract pollinating insects such as butterflies and honey bees however, as this plant is not native to this continent these associations may not be prolific.

Heuchera villosa requires little maintenance. Unsightly flower heads and foliage may be removed if required or to encourage further flowering. Large clumps may be divided in spring or autumn.

Landscape Architecture

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Autumn interest, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, garden, Hairy Alumroot, Heuchera villosa, Plant of the Week, plants, Summer interest

Leycesteria formosa

29 Jul

Leycesteria formosa (10/07/2011, London)

Position: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Moist, well drained soil

Flowering period: Summer to autumn

Eventual Height: 2m

Eventual Spread: 2m

Hardiness: 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Caprifoliaceae

Leycesteria formosa is a deciduous shrub with an upright habit. Its hollow stems are round and green and persist into the winter months. Its blue-green shoots bear ovate, dark green leaves with pointed tips and gently lobed margins. In summer and early autumn it bears small, hermaphroditic, funnel shaped, white flowers at the tip of each cluster of purplish-red bracts and these are followed by spherical, reddish-purple fruits that will ripen a few at a time.

Leycesteria formosa Flower (16/07/2014, Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, Scotland)

Leycesteria formosa, commonly known as Himalayan Honeysuckle and Pheasant Berry, is native to the Himalayas and south-western china. It has been in cultivation in the west since 1824 and some cultivated lines have sweet, chocolate flavoured fruit, with others being bitter and unpalatable. It is considered a noxious invasive species in, among other places, Australia, New Zealand, the neighboring islands of Micronesia. Its hollow stems have also been used to create wind instruments such as flutes and whistles.

Leycesteria was named for William Leycester (1775-1831), a horticulturalist and magistrate in Bengal, India. Formosa from the Latin meaning ‘beautiful’.

Leycesteria formosa fruit (10/07/2011, London)

The landscape architect may find Leycesteria formosa useful as a low maintenance attractive shrub. Once established it is drought tolerant. It is tolerant of maritime locations. As its common name, Pheasant Berry, suggests this plant may be used a part of a plant mix to provide cover and food for Pheasant in rural locations.

Ecologically, Leycesteria formosa will attract pollinating insects such as butterflies and honey bees and birds or other animals may feed on its fruit, however; as this plant is not native to this continent these associations may not be prolific.

The Royal Horticultural Society gave Leycesteria formosa their prestigious Award of Garden merit in 2002.

Leycesteria formosa will tolerate almost any soil conditions; it will be happy at neutral, acid or alkaline pH levels, in loam, clay, chalk or sand based soils facing any sheltered aspect.

Leycesteria formosa Leaf (16/07/2014, Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, Scotland)

Leycesteria formosa requires little maintenance. It may be pruned after flowering to encourage new growth and prolong the life of the plant. Weak shoots may be cut back to the ground in spring to encourage more fruit. This plant may be propagated by division from March to May or by seed sewn in September to November.