November 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Some California native ferns in our Sacramento garden.



Dryopteris arguta - This species is found growing in shady sites in the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is quite xeric, however I keep it irrigated. It looks great all year.



Aspidotis californica - Another low elevation species. It goes semi-dormant during the summer and then starts into new growth as the weather cools in the autumn.



Aspodotis densa - Another summer dormant species. It is just coming into new growth.



Polystichum californicum - A mesic / hydric species. It burned a bit in our garden but it still looks good.



Polystichum imbricans ssp. curtum - I had a number of spore grown plants to plant out. This one thrived and looks great in our garden.

[Robert]

Now that the weather has cooled and the winter rains have started Polypodium calirhiza has started into new growth. This species needs to be kept completely dry during its summer dormant period. When I have a shady crevice that stays bone dry during the summer, I will plant it out. 

[ikizzeki]

Hi Robert,
I dont want to insist but..Antalya has very variable altitudes so depends on it climate can be vary too..

[Yann]

Aspidotis are so amazing what's their hardiness?

[Maggi Young]

Aspidotis are so amazing what's their hardiness?

I'm sure I know someone who grows these in the UK - so quite hardy, I believe -  it may  have been the late John Finch, in Kent who had it in his collection. 

[Gabriela]

The Polystichums are great too, in our climate with long winters anything with evergreen foliage is very much appreciated.

It seems I am posting here only during temperature records - today at noon in Waterloo: 14C ! Of course it won't last but many plants are confused about what's happening.
During the last record of low -14C with no snow, even the Epimediums got the foliage burned. Today I had a look at few evergreen perennials doing OK (except the Helleborus, Hepaticas and Polystichum)

To my surprise Symphyandra wanneri still looks brilliant (grown from AGS seedex as Campanula alpina - take notice)


Androsace sarmentosa (A. villosa as well doesn't care much about the highs and lows)


Another surprise was Ipomopsis rubra foliage (first year rosette) - again, no snow cover yet, and besides the -14C, there were other nights with -7/ -9C


Paxistima canbyi wasn't shown here much I think; flowers are totally insignificant but good foliage plant.


And surely the Semps and Sedums are nice year round, here the Sempervivum 'Oddity'.


The heavy mulch seen in some pictures prevents the frost heaving, which can be very damaging especially for newly planted.

[Robert]

Aspidotis are so amazing what's their hardiness?

Yann,

Depending on the original source, Aspidotis densa is most likely very cold hardy. This species grows over a broad altitude range within California. I see it frequently at high elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In addition, it can be found growing as far east as Wyoming and Montana, as well as in parts of southwestern Canada, regions with very cold winters.

Aspidotis californica has a much more restricted range within California and Baja California. My guess would be that it has some cold tolerance, but exactly how much I do not know. Part of my research is to obtain data that will allow me to make quantified, objective answers to questions like yours. I have a number of remote weather observation sites within the Crystal Range and Crystal Basin where I measure temperature, relative humidity, snow cover, and other data. These are all factors that are relevant to the “plant hardiness” equation. Without objective quantifiable data we are all making subjective guesses. I regret that I do not have more detailed information on the cold hardiness of Aspidotis californica at this time, but thank you for asking. 

[Robert]

Hi Robert,
I dont want to insist but..Antalya has very variable altitudes so depends on it climate can be vary too..

Ikizzeki,

Thank you for sharing this information. I look forward to learning much more about your region within Turkey, the plants you grow in your garden and the native species found in the surrounding habitats.

[Leena]

The Polystichums are great too, in our climate with long winters anything with evergreen foliage is very much appreciated.

Polystichums are also my favourites, though many of them had suffered here during the past two cold winters with only a little snow cover.
Wow Gabriela, your temperatures are sure fluctuating. Here it has been steady close to zero or couple of degrees above it.
Evergreen plants are so nice this time of year before the snow comes!

[Robert]

Leena,

Do you grow any California Polystichum species in your garden? or are they too tender to the cold? or maybe not available to try?

More plants from our Sacramento, California garden.



Asarum europaeum has been very easy to cultivate in our Sacramento garden. It spreads slowly and the evergreen foliage always looks nice.



Asarum splendens has interesting foliage. The original colony at the farm is about a meter long and 0.3 meters wide after about 25 years. I’ll try to keep this colony a bit smaller.



Asarum lemmonii is a species that is endemic to California. This species is found growing at mid-elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as well as the southern end of the Cascade Range, in Butte County, California. It is a mesic / hydric species generally found in moist, shady areas. This plant(s) (a number of seedlings) has been cultivated in our Placerville, California garden (the farm) for decades and is extremely easy-to-please. It originated from Dead Horse Spring near the summit of Robb’s Saddle, El Dorado County (within the Crystal Basin). The spring is situated along an ancient fault line between the Shoo Fly Formation (metamorphic rock) and a granodiorite pluton. I almost always find this species growing on metamorphic or igneous rock.  Another good location to find this species is on Mehrten Formation andesite on Peavine Ridge, where there are several boggy areas on the northern slope of Peavine Ridge along Windmiller’s Ravine. The current plant pictured is growing in our Sacramento garden.



This Potentilla species came from Pauline Croxton of Hortica Gardens, Placerville, California, about 40 years ago. I still have not looked up the species name, but I have it established in several location is our Sacramento garden. It very slowly creeps around and makes a nice tight mat. The flowers are, of coarse, yellow

[Leena]

Leena, Do you grow any California Polystichum species in your garden? or are they too tender to the cold? or maybe not available to try?

Hi Robert, I have several Polystichum aculeatum which has survived even the past two hard winters. Before I had P.braunii and P.makinoi, but they died two years ago after surviving couple of very snowy winters. I'm going to try them again if I find them again to buy. The only other Polystichum I have seen here is P.setiferum, ferns are not easy to find to buy. There is an Estonian grower who sometimes sells his ferns also in Finland, and I have bought mine from him. I haven't yet tried to grow them from spores, but that could be an option for more rare ferns.

Asarum europaeum does well here, it is very nice evergreen. A.canadense does also well, though it is not evergreen. Your A. splendens looks really nice, it has more interesting leaves. I have one plant of A.hartwegii, grown from seeds, and it has lived through the past winters outside, so it is hardy enough to grow here, though it hasn't spread.

[Robert]

Leena,

In the wild, Asarum hartwegii generally does not spread around much, however some forms have very attractive and interesting foliage. I am fascinated to hear that it is hardy in your garden. Here in California, they are not a high elevation species, so to learn that, at least the form you grow, they are hardy is good news. The species did find its way through the last Ice Age, so maybe I should not be surprised, but then again, so many California species have the reputation of being somewhat tender. Your information concerning Asarum hartwegii is a "gem" of information. I will look into it more.