April 2010 - Northern Hemisphere- Flowering now.

[TheOnionMan]

At the risk of being more than usually anal, could the thread be re-named as Northern Hemisphere in the interests of consistency and to make future searching easier? If so, thanks.

I second the motion.  Everytime I see the topic name, I expand the acronym into New Hampshire, the State just north of me.

[Maggi Young]

Okay, Folks, the name is changed ...... not sure if any innocents are being protected, though.......

[Afloden]

Here are some Sanguinaria canadensis selections or collections from various places.

 The first is from far southern Georgia from a population of Trillium decipiens (more than 10,000 plants!) and is always my last one flower. It is a small dwarf with typical sized flowers. The internodes are also short. The leaves only get to about 4-7 cm.

 The next is my most vigorous form and flowers first... usually.

 Next is on from southern Georgia also where it grows with three Trillium species, a possibly new Asarum, two palms, and Hymenocallis occidentalis. The leaves are finely cut, but it is very, very slow to divide. These three plants are the original three that were collected 5 years ago.

 And the "Tennessee" forms. These usually have more petals than some forms. Note that the pinkish ones also have purple-grey leaf underneath while the white are a grey-green.

 Aaron

[TheOnionMan]

Good series Aaron, it is fascinating to learn of such variation in our native flora.  The cut-leaf one is most interesting, the shape of the leaf as if emulating the dry oak leaves on the forest floor.  I've had poor results with Sanguinaria canadensis, the rhizomes falling victim to rodent predation... bought the pink form a few years back (very expensive) and it only lasted one year... lots of vole/mole tunnels in the area.

I used to do yard work for a wealthy customer, who planted S. canadensis out in full sun, in a "boulderized" embankment use as a retaining berm for a driveway, the berm filled with rich soil as a garden opportunity.  To my amazement the bloodroot spread to a couple meters wide, with the largest most lush foliage I've ever seen!

[TheOnionMan]

Just starting to flower is Jeffersonia dubia, fun to watch as they emerge, the foliage is beet red and rubbery looking (Photo 1).  My plants are from a good dark color form, just opening their first couple blooms today... flower color is deeper than what the photo captured.  However, I wanted to showcase a form that Darrell Probst collected, CPC 3.10.97 (Cobblewood Plant Collection), selected on account of it's dark flowers (although my normal form are darker) and the red seed pods.  It is in full flower today, and I note other differences too, the ovary is red (green in other dubia forms) and the stamens dark tipped (light color in other dubia forms).

Sun is very strong today, and my daughter's cheap entry-level Nikon Coolpix does a terrible job with white or light-colored flowers, and after several tries, settled on these washed out looking photos, but it is the best I can do.  In the last photo, I used a sun baffle to tone down the bright light.

[fleurbleue]

Very nice plants Mark 

[Kovacs Pal]

A bulbous plant from our garden (Muscari macrocarpum)

[Lesley Cox]

I used to do yard work for a wealthy customer, who planted S. canadensis out in full sun, in a "boulderized" embankment use as a retaining berm for a driveway, the berm filled with rich soil as a garden opportunity.  To my amazement the bloodroot spread to a couple meters wide, with the largest most lush foliage I've ever seen!

My late mother also grew Sanguinaria canadensis on a hot, dry and very exposed bank, where it thrived and flowered gloriously. Mine, in the "right" place has never been so good.

[Lesley Cox]

The Jeffersonias look delicious. Another that tolerates, rather than loves me.

[Diane Whitehead]

The Easter Bunny left eggs everywhere so my garden was thoroughly
searched by grandchildren and neighbours this morning.

In bloom:  what is called Viola labradorica, but isn't - now identified
as riviniana, a very vigourous Anemone nemorosa, and Erythronium
revolutum, a few of my many rhododendron seedlings.

[Diane Whitehead]

Aaron,

Your cut-leaf bloodroot hasn't multiplied vegetatively.  Have you
tried growing its seeds?

[TheOnionMan]

The Easter Bunny left eggs everywhere so my garden was thoroughly
searched by grandchildren and neighbours this morning.

In bloom:  what is called Viola labradorica, but isn't - now identified
as riviniana, a very vigourous Anemone nemorosa, and Erythronium
revolutum, a few of my many rhododendron seedlings.

Diane, your first picture, what a sweet photo... the lavender egg perfectly placed

[TheOnionMan]

A bulbous plant from our garden (Muscari macrocarpum)

It seems that this Muscari is most variable, some better than others.  Yours is definitely one of the better color forms.

[cohan]

A bulbous plant from our garden (Muscari macrocarpum)

wow--a most beautiful muscari!!

[olegKon]

The snow here has nearly melted and the flowers are trying to catch up with the rest of Europe.
Here is Pulsatilla slavica ready to flower