eremurus robustus

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by maggiec, Mar 12, 2008.

  1. maggiec

    maggiec Active Member 10 Years

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    Spring is really here! I just discovered the eremurus tuber I planted last fall has come up. Looks like a beautiful fat artichoke. I was surprised to see it this early. Anyone familiar with this flower? Should I put in a stake, in anticipation of a huge flower stalk :) ?
     
  2. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I just noticed mine are poking up too, but they haven't bloomed in that spot - not enough sun, I think, or it was their first year after being moved. When I did have some blooming I don't recall them needing a stake.
     
  3. maggiec

    maggiec Active Member 10 Years

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    Ok, I guess I'll rein in my enthusiasm - I was envisioning a towering 12 ft flower stalk, haha. You know how they build it up in those catalogues. I'll just hope for any type of bloom. I haven't seen this in anyone else's garden so I'm quite curious.
     
  4. abgardeneer

    abgardeneer Active Member

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    Don't be alarmed when it goes dormant after blooming,
     
  5. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I think there are different varieties and I'm sure I had one of the more modest ones. It was a good six feet tall, so it wasn't for lack of height that it didn't need staking; I just remember it as being sturdy and reliably upright. I guess those spider-shaped roots have lots of lateral stability, and the stems are sturdy. Hope my memory is reliable, and applicable to what you have! If not, I'm sure you can add a stake later.
     
  6. plantenthusiast

    plantenthusiast Active Member

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    Hi maggiec,

    I realize that this is unrelated to the particular subject of this thread, but your email was unavailable. I saw your post with the photo of your gorgeous tree peony, and I was hoping that perhaps you could tell me where you purchased it.

    I have been searching for that cultivar for quite some time now, and as I am in Vancouver often, I was hoping to find a garden centre that sells it.

    Thanks so much, sorry everyone for the interruption to this thread!

    -Plantenthusiast
     
  7. plantenthusiast

    plantenthusiast Active Member

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    PS:

    It shouldn't need staking, as long as you do not have a lot of strong winds or heavy rain. If it is in the proper position, (ei: getting enough light) it should stand up nice and tall on its' own.
     
  8. maggiec

    maggiec Active Member 10 Years

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    plantenthusiast,
    I lucked out with my tree peony, purchased way back in 1998. It was a sad stick in a pot simply labelled (no cultivar name) in the discount section of a nursery in Richmond. The owner just told me the flowers would be pink. The Richmond Chinese-run nurseries usually sell tree peonies (we love our peonies :)) and you should check them out. I noticed some of them now have named cultivars, but best to see them in flower to avoid disappointment.

    On a side note, I decided not to divide out a section of the plant this year. However, a little seedling or (I suspect) sprout from a severed root that I found under the mother plant last year survived the winter (I put it in a pot in a sheltered spot) and has put up nice new growth. I hope it proves to be the same plant (and not the root stock?) - time will tell.
     
  9. plantenthusiast

    plantenthusiast Active Member

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    Thanks for your reply maggiec, I appreciate it very much.

    I imagine that the seedling is indeed just that; a seedling. Unless it was a shoot attached to the rootstock, then this is probably what it is. The seeds from your tree peony are most likely viable, and it probably self sowed, and this was what you discovered.

    If this is the case, then there is a good chance that it will not come true to name, as your plant is probably a hybrid. However, it may possess many of the same desirable traits as the parent plant, and you should continue growing in on in a pot until it is large enough to plant out. It will take a number of years to flower, but if it is anything like the parent plant, I don't need to tell you that it is worth the wait!

    You could also grow more from seed if you want to:

    Just harvest the seeds in the fall when the pods open, and plant them in pots (say, 3-5 to a 4 inch pot or if you like, 1 to a 3 inch pot) and leave them outside over winter (keep them moist and preferably out of direct sunlight, as this can dry the pots out before you know it) or in a coldframe, and you should see sprouts coming up in spring. Sometimes they take more than one season to germinate, so don't throw them away if they don't do anything.

    If you ever have a surplus of seed, I would be interested in some; I have some seeds as well if you'd care to trade via mail. If you decide to divide your plant, do so in fall once it is completely dormant, not in spring. I think that you will find that cuttings will not root, although grafting is a good (generally about 50% success), but somewhat laborious task. If you are ever interested in selling or trading a division of your plant, let me know :) Also, I am not familiar with the area of Richmond (usually we visit downtown Vancouver), could you direct me to some of those Chinsese nurseries? I would have no idea where to start in terms of finding a listing. Anyhow, good luck and thanks again!

    -Plantenthusiast
     
  10. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Art's in Richmond, on #6 road quite far south, had a good selection of tree peonies last year - not named, but tagged with photos and a variety of colours. That is my favourite of the Richmond Chinese nurseries (not all of them welcome non-Chinese customers, I've found).

    If you find yourself on #6 road (very convenient if you come into Vancouver via Knight St) you should also visit Phoenix Perennials, which is close to Bridgeport.

    Having said all that, I've seen tree peonies in most of the major nurseries in the last few years and via mail order, so I would be surprised if you really had to come to the mainland for them.
     
  11. plantenthusiast

    plantenthusiast Active Member

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    Thanks KarinL for your suggestions, I will bear them in mind for my next visit to Vancouver.

    I am aware of the various mail order and local garden centres that do offer tree peonies, but I am looking for some specific varieties of Chinese tree peonies, and also am looking for better prices than I have previously found. The selection and pricing of most other sellers leaves something to be desired.

    Thanks again,
    -Plantenthusiast
     
  12. plantenthusiast

    plantenthusiast Active Member

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    Maggiec,

    If you'd like to post a few more photos this Spring of your giant tree peony, I could possibly help you to identify the cultivar, if you are interested.

    You would need to take a few different photos though, the leaves/foliage up close, the inside of the flower (stamens, stamenoids) and a shot of the flower head on, and preferably a side shot. Also if you measure the size of the blooms, that helps.

    There are many good books which help in identifying peonies.

    Good luck,

    -Plantenthusiast
     
  13. maggiec

    maggiec Active Member 10 Years

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    I go to Art's a lot too. They have some good prices, and occasionally one can find a choice plant hidden away in one of the greenhouses. I wonder if ownership has changed hands? The owner I knew before was nice, but the new young fellow can be a bit aloof. I'm Chinese but can't speak the language that well, but I find chatting them up can break the ice. I bought a michelia alba from Garden in Gardens, and the owner (tall fellow) was very nice, even giving me tips on propagation.

    Art's Green Acre Tree Farm
    5440 No. 6 Road

    Garden In Gardens Greenhouse
    4080 No. 6 Rd , Richmond

    I bought my peony at a greenhouse near the intersection of Cambie & Garden City (not Wong's - the one next door. Can't remember the name though). They still sell them and I suspect they do their own grafts so maybe there is a chance of getting the same cultivar.

    plantenthusiast, I'd be glad to send any seeds your way. I have little experience dealing with seeds, so you're welcome to the seed pods. Let me know: maggie_will@shaw.ca

    I don't think the little plant is a seedling. The growth looks to be attached to a woody twig or root which self layered. I'll put it into the ground when I get a chance to get outside. I'll try to take more pictures this spring. I did a major tidy this fall, a bit of trimming and a lot of staking. Last year the weight of the flowers almost collapsed the tree.
     
  14. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Maggie, you're right there is one aloof guy at Art's but the other one has tramped all over the lot to discuss this tree or that one with me more than once. At G in G, I really feel that they don't want my business - I have had to almost beg them to take a minute to answer a question.

    I'll have to check those other greenhouses.
     
  15. maggiec

    maggiec Active Member 10 Years

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    karin,

    If you're by Arts on No.6, you might as well swing by this one (near intersection of No.6 & Westminster Hwy) - it's worth checking out:

    Tai Koon Yuen Nursery
    13480 Westminster Highway

    I hate to stereotype, but being from the Chinese community myself, I have to say, it's a cultural thing that often people are wary & shy of "strangers" and may seem aloof. Yet to "friendlies" the generosity & politeness is almost amusing. The owner of G&G was not very open at first, but once I started chatting him up in Chinese, he opened right up and was joking & sharing trade secrets. At Tai Koon Yuen, Chinese-speaking customers (like my sisters, who are good with this type of thing) will bargain with the owners and usually get a discount. It's like a fun and "bonding" type of thing to do.

    Anyway, I just go where the nice plants are...
     
  16. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Thanks Maggie, I'll make a note of that. And I usually just follow the plants too, but when it comes to recommending a place, I don't feel good about sending someone to a place where they might not feel welcome. I think that insider feeling is something every community enjoys!
     

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