Thursday, April 18, 2013

Stachyurus salicifolius; my favorite plant in the garden this week…


This week’s fav plant suffers from my inability to focus. I wanted to showcase the new foliage, but then realized the rest of the world probably wanted to see the blooms. Thus I didn’t get a really great photo of either, but Stachyurus salicifolius really is a cool plant!

I’ve arranged these photos by date. The one at the top was taken on March 25th (I’ve been wanting to feature this plant for awhile) and the last pair on April 10th. That way you can see how it’s changed over a couple of weeks.

I first discovered this plant when I saw it at Molbak’s and Swanson’s Nursery in 2011 up in Seattle, it was July so all about the foliage, the blooms were long gone. The fact that it was called Willow-leaf Stachyurus helped, I have a soft spot for willows.

I bought mine later at Cistus, in a small (square, they seem smaller than the round ones) 1-gallon. Not sure exactly where to plant it, I stuck it in a container (my consistent answer to that question). It finally it went in the ground about this time last spring.

Here’s what the folks at Cistus have to say about it: “Elegant evergreen shrub from China with long and narrow pointed, rain-tipped leaves on arching stems to 6-8' tall x 5-6' wide. In winter pendulous chains of white-to-greenish-white blooms tantalize for a long time from bud to bloom. Truly striking year round and wonderful arching out over banks. Morning with afternoon shade, or dappled shade with regular summer water for best performance. Frost hardy in USDA zone 7.

Funny thing. This photo…

Which appears on plantlust.com is credited to me. I have no idea where I took it, but it really does show off this plant much better than any of the photos I took in my own garden.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

16 comments:

  1. Will this eventually fill in more? I like a few "open aspect" plants, but I really prefer the bushy ones. :)

    Also, I'd like to see wider shots in your "favorite plant" posts, so I can see the full plant and how it works in the bed. Not that I'll ever be able to grow most of these...

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    1. The older ones that I've seen maintain their open sort of weeping habit (which to my mind is a good thing). Point taken about the wider shots...now that spring is upon us I should be able to do that without too much wincing at the mess all around.

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  2. Great plant. That was my garden, Loree. Just kidding. I wish! I'm the same way when analysis paralysis strikes. "Put it in a pot for now." Fortunately analysis always returns.

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    1. And the nice thing about having a few plants on hand in pots, waiting for homes, is that when a place opens up you've already got the plant!

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  3. That is obviously the one I was after when I bought S. praecox instead. Looks like a trip to Cistus is in order...always, right?

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    1. Ah Ricki you know me, I think a weekly visit to Cistus is in order, with or without a reason!

      (S. praecox looks like a perfectly lovely plant too!)

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  4. Great plant pick! Mine is blooming now too and I love it! It's enough later than Stachyurus Praecox that there is a steady stream of blooms for several months! You're a better gardener than I (like that was ever in doubt!) as my Stachyurus salicifolia is still in the pot it came in a couple of years ago. It's on a pedistal so that I can walk beneath the arching branches which is fabulous - Don't think I have an in-ground situation that can quite match that. Maybe I'll just pot it up this year.

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    1. Careful, that's a trademark your stepping on.

      And let's be serious here, me a better gardener? Nobody is falling for that. I may be a more "orderly" gardener but certainly not a better one. I think your pedestal placement sounds ideal and just think how much happier it will be potted up, almost as good as putting it in the ground!

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    2. OOPS! I thought there was something on my shoe. Thanks for pointing it out before I tracked it in! What I should have said is boffo horticultural choice.

      As for the gardener thing...WHATEVER! My garden is filled with so many pots from months of plant shopping that I could start my own nursery!

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    3. Can I be your first customer?

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    4. Don't worry, I am not that sensitive about the trademark and I do think it is a really great plant. I grow it at home and we had it at the Miller Garden for years until croaked in an early hard freeze(early November)a few years ago. I will have to look for a replacement.

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  5. I really like this one Loree, it looks like it has a graceful habit. Will keep an eye especially we're off to Cornwall again soon.

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    1. It's a good one...and maybe you guys could take a page from Peter's book and place it in a pot up on a column (or?) so you could walk under it. What a way to show of those blooms too!

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    2. An evergreen Stachyurus? I am intrigued.

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  6. Is it a plant Cistus carries all the time? Or maybe would bring to Hortlandia?

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