The Plant(s) That Have Taught You the Most?

[Paul Ont]

All,

A recent response to a post got me thinking about which, of the plants you grow, or have grown, have taught you the most. It doesn't have to be about cold tolerance, but it can be. Thinking back on it, there are a few different plant specimens that I have pruchased (as plants or seed) that have taught me important lessons.

I'll give just 2 examples now. Both of these are plants that I've grown and killed. I really feel that the palnts we lose are the ones that teach us the most important lessons. There are many others, and if this post catches on I'll post about (some of) these as well.

First up, Yucca brevifolia, The Joshua Tree. I grew a bunch of these from seed about 8 years ago or so. I ended up getting 2 of them into the ground in, perhaps, 2002. I planted these in my first, now disassembled, cactus garden, not really expecting much. Conventional wisdom told me that these were zone 8 (or 7) plants and then only in dry climates. I had heard rumors of this species surviving in really cold climates (we're all now aware of people having success in dry zone 5 or 6 climates.), including in the Niagara region of Ontario. So, I planted these out and protected them from wet. They survived but never really thrived. Finally, after 3 years (and an absolute low of -32C) I decided to move them to my current cactus garden, which gets much more sun exposure. They really filled in nicely that summer, BUT, I decided no to moisture protect them the following winter and they perished. What this taught me is that desert plants, are, as a general rule, very tough plants. Its not generally the cold the gets them. It's the moisture. Since his time I've been engaged in trying to find more moisture tolerant southwestern plants. I'm actively engaged in seedling trials (mostly failures) where I take several SW type seedlings and then place them in the cactus bed. The thinking is that any that are tougher will survive and the weakings will be weeded out... That's the theory anyway...

Next up Sabal minor. This is one tough little palm. Anyone who grows it will tell you the same. It taught me the importance of keeping plants dry if you enclose them. One popular method for overwintering palms is to simply pile a bunch of leaves around them... Works well for Trachycarpus. Anyway, I learned, by losing 3 minor's, that this method is inappropriate for this species. I don't know what it is, too wet? no air? but all three of them completely defoliated and had spear pull. 2 of them tried to come back last summer, but all have now succumbed. What I learned from this experience is that not all protection methods are appropriate for all plants... And, when growing something new, there can be, and is, a lot of trail and error!

I'm interested in hearing about some others experiences, either postitve or negative.

Paul

[hardyjim]

As you hinted at Paul-the ones I have lost and the ones that came close.

My palms and cactus have taught me quite a bit,I think one of the most important things I
have learned is to look very closely for subtle changes.

With that in mind Trachys

[ROBRETI]

Wise words, guys!

My painful experience was the Araucaria araucana. Coming from Chile/Argentina - almost Patagonia - it really gets a lot of cold, so I was more than brave to place it outside. It rotted away, similar to Paul's Sabals. Next year I saw a large specimen in a botanical garden not far from us, so I asked around and the people there confirmed that they had kept their tree bone dry thoughout the winter!

Interestingly, I have not noticed this protection with the Niagara-on-the-lake specimen and it looks great! So, there must be individual differences, as you already said.

Well, we need to keep on trying and after the proper mourning over the deceased, we need to keep on trying again.....

Take care,
Rob

[Paul Ont]

Thanks for the posts Rob and Jim!

Rob- Here's an interesting note about A. arucana- I grow, in my cactus bed, Maihuenia poeppigii, which is an Opuntia relative that gows in the same region as Arucaria in Chile and Argentina. I have overwintered it sucessfully for 4 years now. The ONLY time I lost one of these was when I protected it from mositure (kept it dry) in the winter. It may be the only cactus I grow that actually needs the winter mositure. Who knew! Interesting that Arucaria would love to be dry!

Oh, and as for the N-O-L Arucaria (there are others, unprotected, in the Niagara region), I'd say it's more that this is a true zone 7a plant and we're (you and I) are probably 1/2 to 1 full zone colder on the north shore of the lake. There also could be differences in hardiness and/or major differences in hardiness between a newly planted tree and an established one...

[ROBRETI]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your comments, they make a lot of sense! About that Opuntia relative, wow, that IS a story, eh?
Rob

[TerdalFarm]

There has been some negativity on this forum lately surrounding plant death. So, I'd like to choose plant survival as my example.
Chamaerops humilis.
I bought a small, inexpensive specimen in 2007 and planted it as an annual.
It got minimal protection that first winter as, obviously, it is not winter hardy here. It suffered complete defoliation--but lived!
It re-grew most of what it lost over the course of the Summer of 2008. Still minimal protection in the 2nd winter as, after all, you can't grow those here.
It lived!
So, what I learned is, you can grow palms here.
Now, in retrospect, I wish I had bought a huge Chamaerops humilis. They are for sale at the local Home Depot. A part of me wants to dig out my 2007 one and replace it with a brand-new larger model. But, emotionally, can I do that? No way! I feel a bond to that little one which taught me, "I can grow palms here."
--Erik

[hardyjim]

There has been some negativity on this forum lately surrounding plant death. So, I'd like to choose plant survival as my example.
Chamaerops humilis.
I bought a small, inexpensive specimen in 2007 and planted it as an annual.
It got minimal protection that first winter as, obviously, it is not winter hardy here. It suffered complete defoliation--but lived!
It re-grew most of what it lost over the course of the Summer of 2008. Still minimal protection in the 2nd winter as, after all, you can't grow those here.
It lived!
So, what I learned is, you can grow palms here.
Now, in retrospect, I wish I had bought a huge Chamaerops humilis. They are for sale at the local Home Depot. A part of me wants to dig out my 2007 one and replace it with a brand-new larger model. But, emotionally, can I do that? No way! I feel a bond to that little one which taught me, "I can grow palms here."
--Erik

Plant death is a minus-negative

[lucky1]

Great question Paul posted.

This probably wasn't what Paul had in mind, but PN has helped me further develop my passion for growing palms.
It's just something I don't ever want to give up, despite screwing up now and then.

I've clicked on fabulous images from all around the world where (for some reason), I assumed they wouldn't even grow.
One example is Switzerland, where Trachycarpus is naturalizing in their forests.

Then there's the Crimea/Black Sea, Prague, British Isles, France/Italy, and--since the preview film to Olympics 2014--Sochi has palms too.
Big ones!
And without palm huts!

Palm-love turned into more of a geography lesson for me.
Thank goodness for the internet.
Barb

[hardyjim]

Great question Paul posted.



Thank goodness for the internet.
Barb

Ain't that the truth,the internet has pushed the science of cold hardy palms 30 years

[lucky1]

...and made me wish I lived somewhere else
Barb