Successful shady outing today

Except for bulbs in the fall these are my last purchases...promise (fingers crossed ;))

Some I recognize but some I don't. Of course I would love to hear your experience with any and all of them.

The two that are new to me:

- Mukdenia "Crimson Fans"

AND

- Stylophorum diphyllum "Wood Poppy"


And a couple of still less common shadies (but I have seen these before):

- Syneilesis aconitifolia "Shredded Umbrella Plant"

I have always intended to get one of these and today is the day.

- Rodgersia "Fireworks"

(I already have Rodgersia "Bronze Peacock" in the ground in this its first full season. It is doing fine but I am expecting more next season.)

Tell me ALL you know about any of these plants.

I'll share some experience with syneilesis.
Mine looked great, but it needs to be divided every few years.
I haven't divided mine in a few years, so it no longer looks nice & full.
Here it was a few years ago (#1).
I love the way it looks when it's pushing up new growth in the spring (#2).
We call your 'wood poppies' celandine poppies, I presume it's the same plant.
I like them for their bright pure yellow flowers, but beware they'll reseed scattered about (#4).
I don't find it a nuisance, as it looks nice scattered around,
especially since the bluebells are doing the same thing and they look great together (#5).
But be sure to pull any unwanted ones while they're little.
After a year or two, they develop a woody crown which is hard to pull.
It has a bizarre sulfurous yellow color to the wood, which is quite striking.

Excellent pictures 'robin and worthwhile advice.

That shot of the "Shredded Umbrella" is wonderful.

Could I ask you, when you have time, to take and post a picture of this plant right now? I know you say it isnt looking its best but I am curious as to how bad it really looks!

I got that Mukdenia on impulse 2? years ago. It is in dry shade, watered sporadically. It has survived and the clump is about twice the size as when I got it. The fall color is a really nice red. Something nibbles the leaves-they look like Rhody leaves when the root weevils are busy, and this is a spot where a Rhody was eaten. It could be something else tho. It's not bad enough to toss the plant in the trash, but I don't think I will plant more, either. I haven't bothered to investigate because I generally do not use poisons in the yard. Except for the chomp marks it seems quite happy.

Thanks for that 'mimi'....good to know about it being successful in dry shade.

This is the second year for Mukdenia here. It did flower in the spring this year, before the leaves emerge. The plant didn't grow a lot last year because we had a hot, dry summer. Looks happy enough this year and I'm looking forward to the fall color since there wasn't much of a show last year.
Nice combo with the wood poppy and forget-me-nots. Mine are in opposite ends of the garden so haven't seen that combo here. I do like the yellow flowers in the shade.

OK, you've shamed me into it.
Of course I don't usually bother posting pictures of any plant not looking it's finest.
This will be closer to a reality view of what my garden really looks like.
My poor syneilesis is being smothered by encroaching jungle and weeds.
The hosta next to it is feeling similarly neglected.
They both obviously need a little love.
So much to do .... so little time ...

Edited to add that I didn't realize there's some of your 'wood poppy' in the lower left of the picture - a good example of how it reseeds from elsewhere. I'll remove it in this setting, since it will otherwise dominate it's area.

And on the right side of the photo is another shade perennial saruma henryi.
It has nice felted big leaves which look nice all season.
Flowers are nice, but not super showy.
It also will reseed somewhat - and this is an example of one I should have pulled last year, as it is now crowding out my syneilesis.
This message was edited Jul 14, 2013 10:13 AM

This message was edited Jul 14, 2013 10:16 AM

Do the felty leaves of the Saruma stay nice-looking all summer? Once humidity hits here, felty leaves don't look so good. The yellow flowers would look great in the shade. I like the look of the umbrella plant in your setting. What is the small plant growing in the middle of the hosta?

Cindy, the saruma foliage holds up surprisingly well despite our humidity.
It can spread somewhat. Flowers aren't super showy, but I like them.
I'm not at my home computer now - I can post pictures when I get home.
The plant in the middle of the hosta is an asarum splendens (chinese ginger).
It wanders around randomly, rather than forming a tight gradually spreading clump like many of my other asarums. Has pretty variegation.
My yard is pretty hilarious, because all of these are nice plants in the right setting.
I just have too many falling all over each other...
I was out rescuing other plants in other areas of my yard all weekend.

I need to be rescuing desirables from weeds (usually waterleaf, chickweed and creeping Charlie) in my wilder area but it's too hot for me today with no breeze. I do like the contrast of the Chinese ginger with your Hosta. If the Saruma foliage can hold up to St. Louis humidity, I'm sure it would work here as well.

Here are a couple pix of saruma.
The flowers are small yellow and centered in the nice felted foliage.
Mine are still looking great this summer - I recall them looking pretty good 'til fall.
I use it as a nice filler for the woods.

I do like the contrast of the yellow flower with the foliage of the Saruma.
Nice umbrella plant, rouge.
I may need to update my wish list.

Your syneilesis looks very happy, rouge.
It should do well - they're not fussy growers.
Should look better and better each year!
Btw, I snip off the flower stalks, as they're not ornamental.

Oh man I have been away for davesfar to long. My husband will not like the checking account. Lol. But I really love the shredded umbrella plant will have to see if they are availabe or some trading. Rouge I love the little yellowflowers just to the left of the umbrella plant. I had some of those and the name excapes me. Very nice shot of your shadegared. I have been shade gardening for about10 years now. Ronna

Pretty garden Ronna. I bought the umbrella plant at a local fund raiser sale late last spring. I had no idea what it was, but liked the look of it. Glad to put a name with the plant. Mine was just a small single stalk, and seemed to do ok thru the summer but then disappeared in mid August. Does it go dormant like ephemerals do, or is it likely a goner?