Some winter pics from zone 4b/5a Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:42 am

Popped some stuff open this weekend just to see how it's doing. Only the palms have artificial heat (in the form of mini-lights). The hardiest plants have no protection, other plants are protected from the deer and rabbits which can decimate my entire collection over the course of a winter. So. mags were given one wrapping with frost cloth, and one wrapping with burlap.

Sabal minor NE texas, seed grown:

Another of the same, this one is top killed:

Yet another. This one is fine:

Sabal minor 'Brazoria', top killed and maybe completely killed:

This Aucuba has been planted for ~5 years. I thought it was killed years ago but the damned thing keep coming back. Apparently was in the new palm house this fall. Who knew?

Banana is still fine, though hoping for better days!

Looking at the back yard. Old palm house is in the middle. It's frozen in place so I wasn't able to get a pic of the inside!

Phyllostachys aureosulcata and P. auerosulcata 'Spectibilis'. Some clums have been top killed, others look like they 'may' leaf out again:

This is why I bend them to the snow, leaves in snow are fine:

Aucuba japonica 'Himilaica', leaves 100% fried, unsure if the stems will leaf out again:

Ilex pendunculosa male. I think he's less hardy than the female.

I. pendunculosa female, looks so much like a Ficus:

Magnolia grandiflora 'Kay Paris" (I think, I have 2 new So. Mags, and the tags are buried...). 99% leaf burn and I am 80% sure that there is stem die back:

M. grandiflora 'Spring grove #19' came highly recommended by zone 5 gardeners in the Northern USA, I think I can see why! (They also recommended Simpsons Hardy and Poconos, but I wasn't able to find those cultivars). Certainly some leaf burn, but there seems to be no damage to the flower buds or to the vascular tissue. I'm VERY impressed with this tree, so far. This is less damage than I had on BBB in a milder winter AND with heat added:

A little leaf burn on Rhododendron maximum (I have another with no damage):

A little leaf burn on Wyndach pink (Or whatever it's called):

Rhododendron brachycarpum ssp. tigerstedtii. The single toughest BLE that I grow. Apparently it took -45C in Finland without damage. AND, it had large glossy leaves.

1 of 2 remaining I. opaca. This one might be 'Carnival'. It's about 1' tall after 5 years in the ground. Maybe it will actually grow this year?

Some other Rhodies. Most of these were bred by a friend in Orono, ON, and are particularly robust in continental winters! Why these aren't the plants of choice for local garden centres I don't know...

This is what happens when I don't burlap edible plants. Deer ate this Kalmia...

Seed grown Yucca 'elata'. The wrap is to keep the rabbits from eating them:

Tieing the leaves up is about 80% effective, this is one of Tim's Yucca recurvfolia x filata seedlings trimmed to the ground:

This hybrid was grown from seed collected from a Y. alofolia, 'Southcaost Yucca' looks pretty good so far!

The cactus bed:

Ilex x. aquipernyi is a winner. So far.

All pics from Feb 24th, 2013. USDA zone 4b/5a border near Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Low to date was -27.7C (thermometer here registered -24.4C, but I doubt it was so mild). Several weeks below freezing.

Thanks for looking!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:03 am

"Kay Parris" is really impressive, looks to be a sure thing.
Which nursery in your area carries it?
I haven't heard of it out west.

Also impressed that the Sabal minors look so good with only those tiny lights for heat with -27 C low.

Glad the rabbits left your y.elatas alone mostly.
IMO, tying yuccas may also keep winter moisture out of the growth point, and sheds snow versus trapping it.

Thanks for the update.
Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:32 am

Right on Paul!

That hybrid rhodie your buddy bred looks impressive. Did he name it? Also that Ilex x aquipernyi is gorgeous..... Howd the fargesia make it this winter?

Keep the pics comming, you always give me ideas, since your kingston climate is the closest to mine that ive seen on here

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:13 am

Barb- Yes, the KP seems good, but I am always skeptical when plants seem to be too good to be true. I got it from my friend Kevin who runs Southcoast gardens.

Some of the minors look OK, others (like that Brazoria) are toast. I think the ecotypes really are worthwhile, though it seems that not all individuals will be equally tough. I must credit my friend Jeff (another Toronto area gardener) with giving me the idea of tying the leaves together. It really does seem to work well and it is so simple. Like I said, it's about 80% effective, sometimes the damned rabbits still get at them!

Jesse. Yes, I probably do have the most similar climate to yours. That particular plant is called 'Sandra Hinton', it is so hardy and the leaves are really glossy. I believe that it bloomed the spring after his garden went to -36C. Which Fargesia? The nitida will be fine I'm sure, my unlabelled plant (John W. and I are sure it's rufa) has some leaf kill but looks like it will rebound nicely. No stem die back evident.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 11:18 am

-36C is pretty cold. The airport saw that cold this year, and where my thermometer is it read -30C. My helikkii looks perfect, and so does my "mandarin lights" azalea. The PJM has some really bad leaf curl but looks good. So far it seems Im in a good area for some hardier rhodies.. Great to hear about the nitidia and "rufa". John mentioned you managed to get an Arundinaria gigantea?

I never thought holly would make it here till I seen my "blue prince/princess" take the winter so far (It had berries so i guess its "princess"). You reminded me to keep an eye our for more (thanks). Heres a pic.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 11:36 am

Paul those are all looking nice! Especially like the Ilex x. aquipernyi.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 2:49 pm

Majority looking pretty good-not to much farther to go-hopefully this pattern will break in a few weeks and spring will arrive as scheduled!

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:05 pm

What kind of Bamboo(not genus name) is that you have outside?

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 7:53 am

Jesse- yes, do try more BLEs. I'd say seek out some of the harder to find stuff, do your research first!. Yes, I have a new plant of A. gigantea 'macon', a northern clone, which is supposed to be hardy (i.e. leaf hardy) below -20F. We shall see. Helikki is a nice (and super hardy) Rhodie, probably among the best of the commercially available plants.

Yes, I hope that spring will be here soon. Looks like have another dip coming.

Which bamboo? The one focused on is (I think) called 'Yellow groove' bamboo. I'm sorry, I don't generally know the common names

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:14 am

Funny what can come back if it has a little protection for the roots....

I have a Calla lily that comes back every year because it is under the heavier
mulch near the Washy.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:36 pm

LOL paul, most people dont know the LATIN names. As far as I know Areosulcata = Yellow grove

Speaking of BLE, I got some Loquat cuttings from the conservatory the other day... wish me luck on those..... My problem here is availability. Lots of rhodo im finding and to be honest i was surprised about the holly. Closest thing I can think of is a super hardy southern mag....

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:48 pm

canadianplant wrote:LOL paul, most people dont know the LATIN names. As far as I know Areosulcata = Yellow grove

Speaking of BLE, I got some Loquat cuttings from the conservatory the other day... wish me luck on those..... My problem here is availability. Lots of rhodo im finding and to be honest i was surprised about the holly. Closest thing I can think of is a super hardy southern mag....

Got to be yellow grove. that stuff can almost be set on fire and still survive

toughest bamboo I know of. takes 10 degree winters here and 105 summer temps no problem.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 4:02 pm

Mike, you have Black Bamboo don't you planted outside?

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:26 pm

Nice variety of plants. Hate to see your brazoira had such a rough time. And that cactus bed looks like hell on earth for any succulent.

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:23 am

Great pics as usual, Paul! That A. japonica is pretty tough

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:38 am

The succulent bed is fine! Most of the species that I grow are mountain things that are used to snow cover all winter long! The Agave do have a hard time, though (too wet for too long, the cold is nothing for them!). When spring does come the cacti will bounce back and put on a real show!

The brazoria version of Sabal minor is kind of disappointing. It out performed my 'Birmingham' last winter (the 'Birmingham' dies last winter), but it has nothing on the northern populations of the species.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:54 am

I hope those Aucubas come back for you. Looks like Rhodo's are a good BLE for your area. I'd keep messing with the big leaf hybrids.....perhaps you'll get one to survive in your area.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:08 am

I've just got access to the tags on the Southern Magnolias, and my analysis was backwards. The Kay Paris is the small leaved one and the larger leafed one is Spring Grove #19. Sorry for the confusion! I've changed it in the original post too!

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:24 am

Paul, would you please show last summer picture of your Aucuba japonica 'Himilaica' . I have some new aucuba with dark green glossy leaves.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:47 am

Not a great picture, but:

We shall see if it recovers. I prefer the solid leaf colour on yours Igor!

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:57 am

Thanks Paul, mine is not the Hymalaica for sure. Next time if any of my friends will go to Toronto I'll pass you some cuttings from my dark-green buster. I love the colour too.