Philesia magellanica

[hanninkj]

Philesia magellanica is a hardy evergreen shrub in England and Ireland. This plant has the same flowers as Lapageria. In small gardens it is a beautiful plant.

Ton

[Lesley Cox]

It grows well for me as long as I keep it damp but it has never flowered. But in an Ashburton garden a couple of weeks ago (Betty Clark's) her large, cushion-shaped plant had dozens of flowers. Went for the camera, to have "no memory card" message come up. It was still in the card writer at home.

[hanninkj]

I have about 10-20 flowers in the plant.

Ton

[angie]

Never heard of this plant. I do have a couple of Lapageria plants in my greenhouse and really like the waxy flowers. Have these flowers the same waxy feel.
Probably not hardy in Scotland, anyone growing it up here.

Angie 

[Maggi Young]

Some folks trying it, Angela.... not with any great success... there are some great pix elsewhere on the forum though:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7851.msg214563#msg214563
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2869.msg68677#msg68677
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2925.msg70111#msg70111



 and I cannot resisit adding this link to pix of Lapageria:  http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1573.msg39012#msg39012

[angie]

It is lovely 
My white Lapageria that I got from a friend is flowering at the moment. I do love the waxy flowers.

Angie 

[ashley]

Does P. magellanica set seed in European gardens or is it necessary to pollinate it by hand?

[Chuck]

This is a troublesome plant in the US. It seems to do well with sphagnum moss in net pots. I have heard many people in Australia plant it in the ground but it has to have very well drainage and consistent moisture.

I am guessing it is as slow growing as lapagerias. Also seeds probably need to be fresh to germinate.

[Maggi Young]

Edit by maggi :

 Ooops, got confused - posted Asteranthera pic in error!

Thanks to Ashley for noticing - I have contacted the Forestry Images website to inform them of the error in captioning the photo.

[ashley]

Looks like they got the photo wrong Maggi.  Surely that's Asteranthera ovata

[Maggi Young]

Crikey, are we not talking about Asteranthera?  Am I in the wrong thread?  I'll check the site again..... 

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I was in the wrong thread! Should have been here  http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=6597.msg245117#msg245117

It was the dodgy label on the photo that confused me I think - Michael  was talking in the "right" thread about growing both plants on a Trachycarpus fortunei trunk.

Have  contacted the Forestry images website about the error in the caption.

[Tony Willis]

I grow it okay in a damp shady place in the garden where it flowers well. I do not think it is self fertile but may be with a bit of effort put into pollination.

[ashley]

Thanks Tony.  Yes the lack of mention of fruits made me suspect that it was self-incompatible.  Still worth a try I suppose. 

More generally, this year has been outstanding here for seed set.  Various plants that previously seemed self-incompatible or sterile produced seed for the first time, viable I hope.

[Lesley Cox]

I was given seed of the Philesia many years ago, by a friend who had only one plant but I suppose could have got pollen from somewhere though he wasn't really much of a gardener and I doubt would have thought of such a thing. He was used to getting and giving away the seed and told me to sow it an moist compost and keep the pot in the warm airing cupboard. I did that and had a loverly bunch of seedlings after a couple of months.

No, no! sorry, scrub all that, it was seed of Lapageria I was given, not Philesia. Going to bed and hide my head under the covers!