Needles, Minors, Bamboo, and Yucca Hybrids...

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon May 07, 2012 9:47 am

Got the opportunity to grab a few shots of my plants this weekend. I'd say that K-town is 2-3 weeks behind Toronto for Spring, but definitely ahead of schedule.

Planted 3 new Sabal minor (NE Texas and mcCurtain ecotypes), a bunch of new bamboo (hooray!), and had the chAnce to rip out some weeds. Never enough time though! I'm still too chicken to plant out my T. fortunei 'nanital' and my T. fortunei var. wagnerianus... Ah well. I also rediscovered some princeps seedlings, some manipur (urkhense aka takil) seedlings, some martianus seedlings, and many more Sabal and Washingtonia seedlings. Ah the joys of poor labeling!

Anyway, some pics:
Pediocactus simpsonii var. minor (I think Jim's bloomed in march)
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... Tvky"><img src="http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/49652 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2139"></a>

Pediocactus paradinei, a cute little plant:
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... rcAE"><img src="http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/47958 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2143"></a>

Various cacti and Yucca. The Yucca in the front is a Tennessee seed Y. recurvfolia. While all my other recurvfolia were topkilled, this one still has a growing spear. For comparison the Tennessee seed grown Yucca gloriosa are all completely green:
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... mBHI"><img src="http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/51091 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2145"></a>

Yucca seeldings (Y. recurv 'Big Tenn' x (Y. thompsoniana x Y. reverchonii)):
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... Eama"><img src="http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/47689 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2146"></a>

Yucca (recurv. x filata)
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... nJvG"><img src="http://inlinethumb33.webshots.com/47456 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2149"></a>

Yucca alofolia hybrid... 'Southcoast Yucca':
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... VMLZ"><img src="http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/48564 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2150"></a>

Yucca pallida. Damaged as usual!
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... YGqT"><img src="http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/48285 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2151"></a>

Seed grown Yucca "elata"

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... AWpY"><img src="http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/10520 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2152"></a>

Miscanthus looks like a medium sized bamboo during shooting season!
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... kiSV"><img src="http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/48662 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2162"></a>

Needle palm:
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... wXqa"><img src="http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/49370 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2163"></a>

Sabal minor, finally some recovery, almost looks like a palm!
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... rBmQ"><img src="http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/51017 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2164"></a>

Poor man's Gunnera, the invasive Petasties... Maybe I shouldn't have planted this, it runs just like a bamboo only is faster and more aggressive:
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... YqdZ"><img src="http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/49294 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2170"></a>

Speaking of bamboo, here are some new shoots of both Phyllostachys aureosulcata and P. aureo. 'Spectibilis'. note the massive upsize. Will this be my first boo to hit 20'? I think 20' in zone 4b/5a is the same as 30' in zone 6... Just saying:
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... waYw"><img src="http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/48413 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2165"></a>

Did not get pics of everything obviously. If you remember a specific plant and want to know how it's fared, let me know!

Paul

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Mon May 07, 2012 9:53 am

Wow, Paul! What the yuccas you have! And your Needle! And everything! By the way, my Gunnera is regrowing after minus 29C winter!

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon May 07, 2012 11:42 am

Igor, -29C for Gunnera????!!!!??? I think mine came back from similar (maybe -28C?) with a thick leaf mulch, but it died that summer. That's one I will grow if I can get some land with a stream or pond (a man can dream!)...

The Yuccas are (mostly) thanks to Tim (Ma) and others begin generous. None of my attempts at hybridizing Yucca have been successful (so far)... Just planted out some seedlings of Y. thompsoniana x Y. filata 'Big mama', pretty excited about that one!

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Mon May 07, 2012 1:07 pm

Awesome shots, Paul. The needle and minor look really healthy compared to some of the shots after previous winters. A long root broke off of the main P. aureosulcata "spectibilis" when I was planting it. I planted the root behind my backyard fence, and a shoot has now started to emerge

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon May 07, 2012 2:42 pm

Wow, that is quite the upsizing on the bamboo.
Likely ensures survival from now on.

Plants have really taken off over the years, good work.
Love the desert garden.

Barb

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon May 07, 2012 6:15 pm

Thanks Barb! That aureosulcata had one stem near 20' 2 years ago, but was ~12-15 last year. This year is has a ton of new tick culms coming up... Really exciting.

Cam- That's good news. I gave a chunk of Phy. aureosulcata rhizome to Scotty a few years ago and it did not do a thing! I think that spectibilis was ready to leap this year, so it should be a good one for you!

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue May 08, 2012 4:00 am

Interesting to see Tenn gloriosa is hardier than Tenn recurvifolia...........this is a great experiment!

I'm surprised the Y. Recurv 'Tenn' x reverchonii-thompsoniana looks so good.

Keep the update photos of Y. aloifolia X coming as this Yucca will be a great specimen.

Was there any damage to the Y. recurv 'Tenn' x filatas? They look pretty green in the photos.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Tue May 08, 2012 4:52 am

Tim,

They actually tend to do better than straight filamentosa. I have no idea why this is, but am glad for it. I think that one of them might have some slight leaf discolouration on some of the oldest leaves, otherwise they are spotless. Will they trunk? Will they stay hardy when/if they do?

I don't think those recurv. x (rev x thomp) will be hardy in the long term unless they somehow gain hardiness as time goes on.

The Tennessee Yucca experiment was to weed out the weak plants, it looks like there is only that one recurv. left, and about 10 gloriosa (hybrids?). I now have the job of transplanting the gloriosa to give them more room to grow!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue May 08, 2012 6:33 am

Very cool Paul-the cactus garden looks awesome-

Always fun when the Bamboo starts growing

Cactus flowers are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l-!

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Tue May 08, 2012 6:50 am

Thanks Jim!

Tim- I found a picture of the Y. gloriosa seedlings, they are front left in this picture. Note that despite me tieing the leaves into a 'spear' the rabbits still ate the leaf tips on some of them!

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... JiSN"><img src="http://inlinethumb39.webshots.com/51046 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN2156"></a>

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:12 am

"They actually tend to do better than straight filamentosa. I have no idea why this is, but am glad for it. I think that one of them might have some slight leaf discolouration on some of the oldest leaves, otherwise they are spotless. Will they trunk? Will they stay hardy when/if they do?"

I only have one or two of those Y. recurv 'Tenn' x filata hybrids in my garden. Yours are bigger than mine since mine are still in containers!! The recurv 'Tenn' was sent to me as a recurvifolia but I'd really classify it closer to Y. flaccida in my opinion. The recurv 'Tenn' mother plant in my garden is not trunk forming; however, it quickly grows 1' tall trunks then flowers and dies. New offshoots emerge to keep the plant going. The recurv 'Tenn' is an unusual Yucca and has the most massive bloom in my garden. The hybrids may trunk since they have elata genes too!!

"I don't think those recurv. x (rev x thomp) will be hardy in the long term unless they somehow gain hardiness as time goes on."

I'd be surprised if they survive long term too since they have the rev-thomp roots. None of mine seem to have the recurv roots. If they did that one my prove to be hardier.

"The Tennessee Yucca experiment was to weed out the weak plants, it looks like there is only that one recurv. left, and about 10 gloriosa (hybrids?). I now have the job of transplanting the gloriosa to give them more room to grow!"

your test is great.........natural selection. Now you can market them as 'Kingston Hardy'. PS, I live in rabbit city too......I hear you with them mowing down plants.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Tue May 08, 2012 12:03 pm

Did I post the method I used? Some of the Yucca had just string to hold the leaves up, and others had some fabric to both hold the leaves up and ensure that the rabbits could not get at them. Both methods worked well for keeping the rabbits at bay, but I'm not sure if it helps much with hardiness!

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... fPlL"><img src="http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/48810 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN1790"></a>

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Thu May 10, 2012 5:21 am

looks good Paul.......keep the update photos coming as those Yuccas should take off this season. Some are approaching blooming size??

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu May 10, 2012 8:21 am

I certainly hope so! I need to try my hand at hybridizing again!