Epigaea repens

[johnw]

Maggi - Here are a few shots from today.  It is rather puzzling that these twigs cut last Monday are slow so to come into bloom so late in the season given indoor temperatures.  As mentioned Epigaea will often come out during a winter's brief thaw of a couple of weeks when temps are very much lower. The flowers are quite a bit pinker than they appear in these photos.

johnw

[shelagh]

John the foliage on your wild collected is far better than the pot grown variety which always seem to let it down on the showbench.

[Lesley Cox]

I'd like to see a pink form. Mine is pure white. But the foliage is good.

[Afloden]

Here is a pink and the typical white form of Epigaea repens taken on Thursday when I was out in the field, eastern Tennessee.

 Aaron Floden
 Knoxville, TN
 

[Lesley Cox]

My word, that's lovely. Thanks Aaron.

[johnw]

The Epigaea, as you can see, is painfully slow this Spring. It may well be the "mayflower" this year.

It was 16c today and sunny, yet the buds are just starting to turn upwards.

I will shoot some in the south in the next few days.

johnw

[johnw]

Maggi - At long last some Epigaea shots from the south of Nova Scotia. A beautiful day down there at 21c and sunny with mist just as I was leaving.


Post 1

A particularly big patch over 7ft across with only a few flowers open today.

johnw

[johnw]

And three close-ups.

The fragrance was very intense taking these shots. Hard to say what they remind me of - maybe sweeter than lilacs but very similar.

More when local clumps are in full bloom.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

bliss! Aren't they lovely?

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely, John. 7ft across eh? I'll have to arrange a bigger space.

[johnw]

Lovely, John. 7ft across eh? I'll have to arrange a bigger space.

Leslie - Plan for a bit less, that's the biggest single clump I've ever seen.

I mentioned I had rarely seen wild seedlings. Well it's amazing what you find when you open your eyes. I saw many seedlings yesterday in the south, all growing in the most unusual places - barren soil, soil covered in British Soldiers and Pixie Cups, on rotted tree stumps, screes and moss-covered soil - I guess all pretty sterile environments.

I'll watch for seed too.

That large clump also had one shot that was a very dark reddish pink. I'll have to ask the ladies who sell posies door-to-door if they have seen dark coloured or large-flowered forms and WHERE!

johnw