Flora Wonder Blog: Spring, Sprang, Sprung

I began Buchholz Nursery 44 years ago, so it's quite remarkable that women in my realm suppose I'm somewhere between 36-to-39 years old. Boy, I wish, but I have been kicking dirt clods for almost three quarters of a century. This is my first spring after a long career where I can actually enjoy the march of the season...with its fresh, unfurling leaves and an abundance of flowers. Yes, Buchholz Nursery is woefully behind with the work schedule, as all nurseries are at this time of year, but I carry a little less panic as I allow the new owners to grow their own gray hair.

Mahonia x 'Arthur Menzies'

Rufous Hummingbird

The “spring” fun begins with the flowering of the Mahonia hybrids, and our old stalwart x 'Arthur Menzies' (M. bealei x M. oiwakensis subsp. lomariifolia) begins singing Christmas carols as early as November's end. I'm usually not visually aware that it is in flower as I coldly hunker downward in the gloomy garden, rather I'm alerted by the darting hummingbirds that bee-line to the golden nectar. The little hummers can become crabby with each other as they vie for territorial priority, and for myself I don't hang near the bush either, for fear of getting an eye poked out. 'Arthur Menzies' is a statuesque evergreen shrub that was introduced in 1961 at Seattle's Washington Park Arboretum and it thrives in Northwest, USA gardens where its parents barely do. Arthur was the Supervisor of Plant Accessions at the Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco, in whose garden the hybrid originated, but I can find no direct connection with this Mr. Menzies and the Scottish naval surgeon and botanist, Archibald Menzies, who was honored with the specific epithet for the “Douglas fir,” Pseudotsuga menziesii.

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Strawberries & Cream'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Angelly'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Sunburst'

The “witch hazel” performance this spring was a brief affair. The Hamamelis x intermedias bloom early and last about two weeks, and while I enjoy them in my gardens they were always a tough sell. 'Strawberries and Cream' is a relatively new selection with cream-yellow flowers and red at the base; I like it so much I planted one by my mailbox. Both 'Angelly' and 'Sunburst' exceed old cultivars such as 'Arnold's Promise' for their larger and brighter yellow flowers.

Hamamelis vernalis 'Red Imp'

Hamamelis vernalis 'Blue Moon'

Hamamelis vernalis 'Red Imp' emitted a soft autumnal glow last November, then showed off again in February with flower petals wine-red at the base and copper-colored at the tips. I don't know about the “imp” name as that implies a dwarf plant, but mine grows exuberantly. Another H. vernalis is 'Blue Moon', and I was somewhat startled when I drove past it. It was in heavy flower, but I can't say it was beautiful. Oregon plantsman Roger Gossler describes the color as “violet purple,” a most surreal hue, and claims that the parent plant was discovered by Jorg Kohout of Germany, the plantsman mainly known for his introduction of Abies koreana 'Ice Breaker'. The cultivar name is unusual – for I see little blue in the witch hazel – so I think something was lost in translation.

Hamamelis japonica 'Pendula'

It was also Roger Gossler who gifted me a Hamamelis japonica 'Pendula' but we have yet to propagate it. The low-spreading bush is approximately 4' wide and only 10” tall and I like its structure especially when deciduous. The light yellow flowers are small and occur at the time of year when nobody ever sees it, but nevertheless my solo tree is frequently on customers' wish lists, and we should probably plant it in the garden to decrease the urge to sell it.

Corylopsis sinensis var. calvescens f. veitchiana.

The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs (2019) sings the praises for the Corylopsis genus in the Hamamelidaceae family, and opines: “These exquisitely beautiful plants are easily grown and should be much more widely planted.” Hillier suggests there are about 24 species in the genus, whose name is derived from the Greek words korylos meaning “hazel” and opsis meaning “like, similar to,” although Corylopsis resides in the Hamamelidaceae family but Corylus is a member of the Betulaceae family. I never did acquire the skill to identify the various species, and there's even a planting of seven species next to each other in our Long Road section. I wanted to learn how to identify them but they basically all look alike., and if we ever lost the labels we'd be hapless. But even with their labels the nomenclature evolves with forms and varieties and many of my tags are outdated. For example, what used to be C. willmottiae is now C. sinensis Willmottiae Group and C. veitchiana is now C. sinensis var. calvescens f. veitchiana. Wow – a form and a variety for the latter – it was originally discovered by E.H. Wilson in 1900 in China.

Corylopsis sinensis 'Spring Purple'

Corylopsis spicata 'Golden Spring'

Corylopsis glaucophylla

Corylopsis sinensis 'Spring Purple' is a favorite in the landscape for its purple new growth, and it pairs well with C. spicata 'Golden Spring', although the latter requires PM shade, at least in Oregon at Buchholz Nursery. One species – C. glaucophylla – remains a mystery, if indeed it is a unique species. I've only seen it listed once, at the now defunct Heronswood Nursery, but I've been unable to learn why it received that specific epithet and who did so. We used to root the various species and cultivars under mist in summer, with 'Golden Spring' being the most popular. It's best to not graft Corylopsis selections due to the suckering nature of the beast, and even on their own roots the gardener will experience them growing quite wide as they mature.

Acer opalus ssp. obtusatum

Acer japonicum 'Maiku nishiki'

I walked through the Hoyt Arboretum of Portland with my daughter H. last week. In the distance I could see a Corylopsis-looking tree in bloom, but then my eyesight is not so good anymore. “What is it? What is it?” I said aloud as we approached. It humored my daughter that I was so driven to know, that I become restless when I don't know the identity of a tree. I don't know why I can't be normal around trees and just accept them for their pleasant qualities like my wife and everyone else does. We were in the maple section and...ah, I could finally see that it was an Acer species with prominent flowers: Acer opalus subsp. obtusatum, a medium-sized tree from the Mediterranean region. The Hoyt tree was in fine form, but I recalled growing it at the nursery long ago, with it eventually perishing in a harsh winter. I conclude that I baby my trees too much in lush conditions, whereas the trees must fend for themselves at the Hoyt, and maybe – overall – they thrive there better. My daughter was impressed with the A. opalus's showy yellow flowers, and also with a neighboring tree of A. japonicum with its red flowers. She wasn't aware that maples even produced flowers at all; but yes, dear, maples have sex too – a topic she preferred I drop altogether.

Acer buergerianum 'Miyasama yatsubusa'

H. would be bewildered with the obscene amount of flowering and seed production that occurs some years on our Acer buergerianum 'Miyasama yatsubusa', both in containers in the greenhouse, as well as with our 40-year-old specimen in the Display Garden. Sadly the tiny seeds rarely germinate – for me, at least – and when they do they grow as a regular A. buergerianum. New growth is stunted these days on my garden pillar with the over-abundance of flower production, so propagation is with rather thick, two-year scionwood which is also encumbered with unwanted flowers. It seems as if we are developing a more-dwarf strain of 'Miyasama yatsubusa' than we used to grow 30-40 years ago, while many propagators experience that the opposite usually happens. Our trees are in high demand, however it requires two additional years for the dwarf Trident to make a salable one-gallon pot compared with the typical Acer palmatum cultivar.

Acer macrophyllum

Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

An impressive harbinger of spring is Highway 26 from the west into Portland, for both sides of the three-mile canyon are festooned with racemes of yellow from the flowers of the “Oregon maple,” Acer macrophyllum. As if that wasn't exuberance enough for one year, a yellow haze will reappear in autumn when the deciduous leaves begin to fall. A special treat at the nursery is when our introduction of Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose' flowers at the same time as the rose colored leaves begin to emerge. Once, an enthusiastic visitor stumbled with superlatives and blurted, “That's the most incredible thing I never saw!” Mee too...I think.

Stachyurus salicifolius

Pale-yellow flower racemes are developing in the containers of Stachyurus salicifolius in the greenhouse. The specific epithet aptly describes the long, slender, willow-like leaves. An old specimen is planted in the woods along the creek at the southern end of the nursery, and it lends a graceful presence among the alders. However much I liked it for its feminine appearance, we found them nearly impossible to sell, so I was surprised when the new Buchholz Nursery owners ordered a hundred pots from another grower. With MrMaple's strong media identity and a huge mail-order clientele, I'm confident they will find enough customers, so I'm pleased if S. salicifolius makes a comeback at the nursery.

Magnolia 'Kiki's Broom'

Kiki

The magnolias are in their prime this week, and the gangly, large-growing trees finally justify their inclusion in the collection. Of course some cultivars are more dwarf and compact compared to others, but in most cases they become too crowded, even at middle age. An exception to the large size is Magnolia 'Kiki's Broom' which occurred as a witch's broom on a probable M. x soulangeana. I don't include a specific epithet because I'm not positive, and I never saw the original host tree either. I received propagation wood from plantsman Greg Williams (who was not a magnolia guru) about 25 years ago but then he suddenly went quiet and would never answer his telephone. We built up our stock of the broom, but before commerce could commence we needed a name. At the time my youngest daughters were infatuated with a Japanese animated character, a cute little girl who flew around on a magical broom with her cat; so, 'Kiki's Broom'. Later I learned that wood was also sent to Europe, where it is known under one or possibly more names. Too bad.

Magnolia 'Genie'

Magnolia x 'Genie' is an exciting new introduction that we have been growing for about a dozen years, but unfortunately it is patented so we can't propagate and I must buy in my starts. The cultivar features tulip-shaped blossoms of dark maroon on a narrow, compact tree, so it is perfect for a smaller garden. The sweetly-fragrant flowers are open now – spring-spranged – but later in summer we often get a second flush of flowers. The hybrid was produced by New Zealand plantsman Vance Hooper and arose from crossing cultivars of M. x soulangeana with M. liliiflora. It should be planted in full sun, and is hardy to -20 F, USDA zone 5. Judging from my older plants I expect 'Genie' to reach at least 15' tall, but will only be about 6-7' wide; a purple pillar with flowers abundantly borne.

Magnolia 'Mighty Mouse'

But before you conclude that Magnolia 'Genie' is the best selection ever, you should see M. 'Mighty Mouse', also bred by Vance Hooper. Perhaps it is also patented but I won't try to find out, and I'll just grow a small number and claim ignorance if outed. 'Mighty Mouse' resembles 'Genie' in flower form and color, but it is much more diminutive. It would look smart as a fresh bud on one's lapel.

Caerhays Castle

Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle'

Haruko with Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle'

If the gardener has ample space, then it's a luxury to fill it with the large-growing Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle'. There's nothing neat and tidy about the blossoms, rather they remind me of a formerly good-looking dame who now wears flamboyant clothing and lathers on excessive makeup to conceal her age. According to Hillier, the belle is M. sargentiana var. robusta crossed with M. springeri 'Diva', and the “magnificent” tree “was raised at Caerhays [in southern England] in 1951. Very large, salmon-pink flowers with 12 broad tepels appear before the leaves.” My start came from the eclectic garden of the late Dr. Corbin of Portland, Oregon. Sunset Magazine featured a story about 'Caerhays Belle' in their monthly gardening section, with a photo of the doctor's great-grand-daughter posing with a single blossom that was larger than her pretty head. Due to the article, sales spiked with retail and mail-order nurseries who carried the hybrid, such as Gossler Farms and Nursery in Oregon. I duplicated the flower/pretty face with my new wife, Haruko, who posed with the Dr. Corbin tree since his great-grand-daughter wasn't available.

Ribes sanguineum 'Pulborough Scarlet'

Archibald Menzies

Our native “wild current” is Ribes sanguineum*, and the cultivar 'Pulborough Scarlet' is hogging a lot of backyard space at Flora Farm. Now the 10' tall by 12' wide monster is in full bloom with thousands of flowers cherished by our resident hummingbirds. The scarlet color evolves with their age, ranging from rich red when new, then later fading to pink. The hue can change from minute to minute as well, depending whether the sun is shining on it directly or when the sky is cloudy. I once wanted to surprise wife Haruko with a bouquet of Ribes which I brought into the house. She thanked and rewarded me with a smile, but half an hour later we looked at each other with frowning faces and mutually concluded that we couldn't tolerate the rank odor any more. Surprisingly Hillier describes the stinky current as “useful for cutting for the home and easily forced. First discovered by [the aforementioned] Archibald Menzies in 1793 and introduced in 1817.” The pungent smell reminded me of when I used to scramble through its brush as a youth while headed upstream to fish; the odor wasn't so bad when not constrained indoors. My grandmother used to make a delicious dark jelly with its tiny black fruits, and the berries' tartness combined with pounds of sugar added greatly to my peanut butter sandwiches.

*Sanguineum: from Latin sanguineus “of blood.”

Acer palmatum 'Goshiki kotohime'

Acer palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa'

Acer palmatum 'Yellow Threads'

New maple grafts

Speaking of blood, my life-blood at the nursery is with the maples, and it's a relief and joyous pleasure when last summer's grafts begin to leaf out in spring. It's the Acer japonicums that emerge first, followed by certain A. palmatum cultivars like 'Goshiki kotohime', 'Mikawa yatsubusa', 'Yellow Threads' etc., but today (3/28/24) everything else is catching up. David is currently in GH18 cutting off the liner rootstocks completely, and he beams proudly when I congratulate him on another year of success. He'll be around, hopefully, in a half-dozen years when his little propagants will grow to $100 apiece. I'm not sure if I will though, not knowing when all my springs will have finally sprung.

"Stop bemoaning your demise, Talon. You have been given an abundance of my floral favours."

Flora Wonder Blog

Buchholz Nursery Website

Friday, March 29, 2024

Spring, Sprang, Sprung

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