That's interesting. The rhodis I mentioned do not rebloom so it must be another type.
FIRST FLOWERS OF SPRING 2015 DOUBLE TAKE
http://www.hyanniscountrygarden.com/fall-rhododendron-bloom/
Fall Rhododendron Bloom
November 5th, 2012
“Is my rhody confused?” our customers ask. “They’re flowering now, in the fall. Will they still bloom in the spring?”
To some extent this happens every autumn. The hours of daylight and darkness are the same in the fall as in the spring, and the temperatures are a similar combination of warm days and cool nights. Since we also usually have a few good fall rains after a dry spell in the summer, all of this adds up to these conditions giving the plants the false idea that it’s spring. Sometimes people even trigger this growth response by feeding their shrubs a synthetic, as opposed to an organic, fertilizer sometime in late August or September.
Some years we see more such fall flowering than others. In the fall of 2011, after many plants were shocked by the salt spray of hurricane Irene in August, there were spring flowering trees in bloom as well as many Rhododendrons. No matter what the cause, however, everyone would like to know if their plants will still blossom the following spring. The answer to that is “It depends.” Plants that put out only a few fall flowers should still have a good show of color the following spring. But if a shrub has opened most of its buds in autumn, or has been very shocked by drought, salt burn or other stressful conditions, it may not flower well the next year.
Summer drought contributed to this PJM Rhododendron blooming in the fall. The red leaves are an indication that the plant was stressed over the summer. PJM leaves will turn red when the plant gets dry and when the temperatures drop near freezing.
sorry, can't get pic to upload
Ah yes, I think I've heard of this before. Very interesting Coleup, thanks for the article.
Here is that PJM Rhodie pic (finally)
Oh wow! With it looking like that, it almost makes you want to put it into drought stress...LOL
GT, my first thought on the purple flowered small leafed rhodie was PJM as well. I have several, and they look just like that. I also have Olga and PJM elite. For some reason, those small leafed rhodies do better for me than others.
I haven't had good luck with small leaved rhodies. I had 2 PJM rhodies and both got phytophthora and died the same season. I also had a Blue Baron and that died as well but I think it was mostly from transplant shock. It was in the same spot for a couple years and I moved it but it died later that season.
Many, many years ago--I had a nice, red Rhodo by my front steps.
Then--one year--all the GREEN leaves started rolling up and dropping.
I called around--asked a lot of questions (I think i was still on GW then)
and the concnsus was that it was phytophthora and I had to dig up and throw away
my Rhodo--AND--get rid of the soil beneath it---AND that I should never plant another
Rhodo in that spot.
I don't remember what came next--maybe the spot sat empty for a while?
Maybe I planted something else in there? But--eventually--in 2000-- I bought and
planted my "Bob Hope" Camellia in there--which still lives and blooms there.
I have another issue--as I cannot grow petunias any more--they get that dead, sprawly look
and the roots rot and I have to pull them up.
This is in the same areas that I used to plant Impatiens and they got that Mildew
disease. Seems the petunias can catch it as well. The ones in window boxes do OK.
These are not all in the same beds. The 1st two pics are in the same bed
on my kitchen side. i KNOW I always had Imps there.
In pic. #3--this is in my small front bed. Don't think I grew Imps there. Bummer!
Any thoughts? Gita
edited to say this was taken in July of 2013.
This message was edited Apr 10, 2015 2:50 PM
People do say that you need to dig out the infected phytophthora soil but I never have. Whatever I've planted over any spot that had it has done fine. I planted a Sweet Bay Mag in the same hole I dug out a Rhododendron maximum that had phytophthora over the entire plant. The Mag grows nicely.
Seq, do you mind posting pictures of your Sweet Bay Magnolia when it leafs out (if it lost its leaves this winter), and also when it's in bloom?
I checked them out at a local nursery today and I just can't picture one in my yard.
Very interesting that small leaf rhodies have done better for Aspenhill. I've lost three small leafed ones, but the large leafed one from last year is doing great. I'm not getting flowers this year, though. I think I transplanted it at the wrong time of the year and the blooms weren't set.
SSG, if you change your mind about adding a River Birch, LMK... I saw a really pretty one at Lowe's (when I scored those hellebores), and I think it was priced at about $25, great price for its size. I might pick it up anyway... I have one closer to the house, but it would be a nice thing to add to the treeline, I think.
I love river birch, but I think it's just too big for my yard.
And what a great price!
You know, I read a description for River Birch just now... and either I purchased a dwarf variety or the "master gardener" who sold it to me didn't know what he was talking about... I sure didn't plant it in a spot where it could get 30 or 40 feet wide! Hmm. Might be trimming its "clump" form back to just a couple of main trunks over the years. As it grows, it may have to fight with some nearby leland cypress, and that could help keep it in check also.
I'm putting in young trees and shrubs with the notion that probably no more than half will actually get established in that little treeline along the back of our yard... worst case scenario, I might end up cutting a couple of things down if they start getting too big or overcrowded, and hopefully I can forsee that situation in time to dig them while they can still be moved. It's still a cost-effective approach compared to buying larger trees/shrubs -- and young ones might be more likely to survive, even.
SSG: Here are a couple pics from last year. A flower close up and the full plant.
love the Magnolia picture there, Jeff
Thanks! It's a gem for sure.
I may have to try another sweet bay magnolia. I got a small one a few years ago, but I never thought to protect it from the deer. It got destroyed, not from the deer eating it (actually I don't think they would), but from buck rub. I had it in the side yard, and one day I noticed that the trunk was sheered off and laying on the ground with a lot of the bark rubbed off. I thought it might grow back from the roots, but no such luck. They sure are pretty though.
It's a gorgeous magnolia, Jeff!
The bumbles have been busy on the Andromeda. Pieris japonica
Oh! I have not seen a bee yet. I think Mahonia is open now, about half the buds that would normally bloom much earlier, and can draw a bee even on a surprise mild spell in February.
I wonder if deer have it out for Magnolias ; - )
This wasn't my Magnolia - I have no idea who decided to plant it in the forest - but check out the total destruction due to buck rub. These are before and after photos.
A few random pictures:
Myrtle Euphorbia (Euphorbia myrsinites) starting to bloom. This is an allegedly highly invasive plant that is banned in some western states, but it's proving to be a good evergreen groundcover for a steep sunny slope.
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
Pieris japonica in a dry shady spot in my shrub graveyard. This was its last chance to live.
Variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum')
Bunny watching over my Primroses
Nice little rabbit figure Muddy, although in my yard, they're real....
:-(
glad to see your tiny nubs of Var Solomons seal, I have been looking for signs and nothing yet.
I did see today emergence of golden Dicentra, I think donner gave it to me, and found a pot of seedling native Anemone (virginiana)
and Oh emm gee, have I got invasive Ranunculus ficaria lesser celandine buttercups popping up in a lot of new places!!!! I knew my neighbor had a big patch, but somehow I seem to have spread them in my yard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_celandine
I saw a rabbit yesterday! Bummer.....Now--do I have to put my plastic fencing up?
If it goes like last year--and IF this rabbit makes her home under my back-yard
neighbor's big garage--none of the babies will survive.
Either snakes of hawks will get them. At least I never saw any last year.
G.
Things are really popping here. One of the Peonies is much taller than the other 3 it always blooms earlier and I was wondering if the earlier bloom time = earlier emergence. It was the first to pop out of the ground and is a good 6 inches taller than all three of the other plants.
Right now I think the Black Pussywillow is the star of the yard along with the Hellebores.
I saw Holly's black pussywillow in all its glory yesterday. Sure is a beautiful shrub.
It's very striking! I like that Hellebore too - is it white?
Sally, I found a patch of Lesser Celandine in one of my beds today. I've never seen them near my yard before, and it was at the back of that bed, so at first I suspected it might have hitchhiked with a plant I bought.
It's growing around what I think are some emerging Canna 'Australia' tips, though, and that's not new....so who knows!
Sally, you found a seedling of anemone virginiana? I'm jealous! The one I bought and planted didn't come up yet. The 5 I got as plugs and planted in pots didn't come up yet. None of the winter sown bottles have sprouted and none of the seeds I threw in the garden sprouted either...perhaps this plant isn't for me. I guess we'll see.
Here's some pics from today.
I really like that Lesser Celandine Muddy, very pretty!!
Those are beautiful, Sequoia. All of your fall bulb-planting has paid off!
Too bad the Lesser Celandine is so horribly invasive.
That's for sure. I'm just glad I only have a 1 square foot patch to pull up.
They leave little "grain of rice" bulbs behind. You have to get them all.
Great : - ( There were none in that bed last year, so I can't figure out how I ended up with a dozen plants this year.
muddy it is white but there is a lite pink one in front of it. you can just see a few pink blooms.
Sequoia beautiful pics.
Here is another one with pink speckles.
I like that Hellebore Holly!
If it thows out any seedlings I save them for you. Make sure you remind me about it.
Thanks! Do hellebore seedlings have a single leaf to start? I have a bunch of NOID seedlings next to one of my hellebores and wasn't sure if they were baby hellebores.