Hebe

[johnw]

Would anyone like to have a go at an i.d. of this one growing in Newfoundland? Most say H. hectori.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

I wouldn't argue with that, though I don't know my hebes as well as I ought. Saw a photo yesterday of a fabulous species from Campbell Island (subantarctic). It was H. benthamii, with large flowers of a deep, rich and glorious blue. Very difficult apparently but oh for the chance to try it!

[ashley]

Lesley,

Are any of the amazing Campbell Island megaherbs in cultivation, wonders like Pleurophyllum speciosum & hookeri, Bulbinella rossii, Anisotome latifolia, etc., or are they all impossibly difficult?

[johnw]

Lesley,

Are any of the amazing Campbell Island megaherbs in cultivation, wonders like Pleurophyllum speciosum & hookeri, Bulbinella rossii, Anisotome latifolia, etc., or are they all impossibly difficult?

Ashley - There was a wonderful article on these megaherbs in the RHS The Garden many years ago.  I would love to see some pictures of these impressive beasts.

A friend said some of them were growing in a cool house at the Botanic Gardens in Tasmania, in Bernie or Hobart - I can't recall.  He wasn't clear if they looked good or not.

Leslsie - Can you tell us a bit about the climate there?

johnw 

[ashley]

Hi John, 

Yes there's a sub-antarctic display in Hobart but understandably this seems to concentrate on plants from Heard & Macquarie (e.g. http://www.apstas.com/sgaptas-macishouse.htm).  A couple of years ago there was a very nice exhibition at Invercargill Museum on NZ's sub-antarctic islands which touched on the unique flora (photos only of course).  Unfortunately I haven't seen the RHS article.

Presumably the climate is cool, wet and (very) windy - not so different from parts of Nova Scotia, Old Scotia or Ireland really!

[johnw]

Hi John, 

Yes there's a sub-antarctic display in Hobart but understandably this seems to concentrate on plants from Heard & Macquarie (e.g. http://www.apstas.com/sgaptas-macishouse.htm).  A couple of years ago there was a very nice exhibition at Invercargill Museum on NZ's sub-antarctic islands which touched on the unique flora (photos only of course).  Unfortunately I haven't seen the RHS article.

Presumably the climate is cool, wet and (very) windy - not so different from parts of Nova Scotia, Old Scotia or Ireland really!

Ashley - You may be right but I fear deer, rabbits, porcupines, slugs and snails here would finish them off in short order.  I suspect none of these are found on the island.

I recall the tours of Campbell Is. did not include disembarking from the tour boat for fear of introducing anything. Good to read they are taking action, I hadn't realized there were already critters on the islands.

That Corybas is delicious.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

I don't know a lot about NZ's sub-antarctic island John. Macquarie and Heard are governed from Australia. David Lyttle, if he's around could help more but it's true that "people" may not go there. Dept of Conservation staff visit from time to time and there are tours which don't include landing, or very limited landing under strictly controlled conditions. Also VERY EXPENSIVE!!! At one time some of the islands were farmed with cattle, maybe sheep and pigs as well but I think all of those are gone now. Whether the islands are free of rats and other pests, I'm not sure.

A few of the megaherbs are reasonably easy to grow. Anisotome latifolia grows in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens and I saw 2 huge clumps of it in a friend's garden just a couple of days ago (same garden as 2 pics on the SH thread). Bulbinella rossii is grown in some gardens on the south coast, brought there by fishermen working out of the southern port of Riverton. I've had both Stilbocarpa polaris and Pleurophyllum speciosum plants given to me but kept them for only about 2 years, deteriorating quietly for all that time, and I've not been able to germinate any seed from either one. Acaena magellanica is as easy to grow (and as rampant) as any other in the genus and I've got rid of it though the foliage is pretty.

Of course the Chatham Is forget-me-not Myosotidium hortensia is, in effect, also a megaherb and is as easy to grow, flower and seed as anything else in the garden, but of course its climate is much warmer though still very windy, as salt-laden and sometimes savage, as the islands in the southern ocean.

The megaherbs though from almost at sea level, are alpine plants in my book, because the tree line is at sea level or even non existent and they grow above that. We don't have access to the plants now but if we did, maybe we would have to provide a harsh combination of vicious snowy, icy, salty winds, very high light levels in summer, low in winter, zero atmospheric pollution, high rainfall, probably high acid soil.

The southern ocean megaherbs are a kind of holy grail for NZ alpine gardeners but I imagine it's one we will probably never find.

[ashley]

Thanks Lesley.  Interesting to hear that several are in cultivation, and since Myosotidium is easy enough here perhaps there is hope.

[johnw]

Of course the Chatham Is forget-me-not Myosotidium hortensia is, in effect, also a megaherb and is as easy to grow, flower and seed as anything else in the garden

Leslie - May I quote you here in Nova Scotia?

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Of course the Chatham Is forget-me-not Myosotidium hortensia is, in effect, also a megaherb and is as easy to grow, flower and seed as anything else in the garden

Leslie - May I quote you here in Nova Scotia?

johnw

Do I detect a certain cynicism here John?

[johnw]

Leslie - A tad - in jest.

Myosotidium is extremely difficult here even in a pot and impossible outdoors.  I once had one (at great expense) and always had to move it out of the sun in summer when temps rose above 25c + high humidity. One day I put it behind the greenhouse door and half a top leaf poked out into the sun, that part of the leaf collapsed. The plant got smaller and smaller and petered away within two years. Gaultheria sinensis would turn black in the same weather. All up there with the rosulate violets!

I guess it might be growable in a pot in the south here.  Lucky you who can grow these delights.

johnw

[ashley]

Anisotome latifolia grows in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens

and their website refers to megaherb species, in the plural.  Unfortunately I had no response from them, but then nothing ventured ...

Myosotidium flowering here now.

[Lesley Cox]

What were you wanting to ask them Ashley? I know many of the people at the DBG and could ask in person for you.

[ashley]

  Whether they publish a seedlist, and the likelihood of obtaining any of their megaherbs in that way.  I'd be most grateful for any information, Lesley, should you get the chance.

With thanks & best wishes,
Ashley

[Lesley Cox]

Not so far as I know, or I've not seen one anyway, but I'll find out for sure. A little bit of seed has been known to find its way into my hands and Robyn Freeth, curator of the rock garden does donate seed to OAGG's sedlist each year. I'll have a chat to her.