Helleborus 2011

[ian mcenery]

Marcus
My experience is the same as Tony's I have three plants and the seed set is poor. They are in the open garden and progress has been slow but this year at least one of these plants is showing a reasonable clump. My plants were from Will McLewin and the only named variety that I am aware of is what he had as the Marietta form shown below and this I believe is a strain which had been separated growing in a polytunnel. Although attractive I prefer the deeper and fuller flowered pink ones. I bought a plant of the Marietta form and it has not increased in 5 years.  Naming Hellebores is a bit of a mugs game because they are so unwilling to grow well when disturbed. I have germinated some of my own seeds and we will see how that goes. Marcus if you would like some seed of the  pink one - assuming it sets this year- let me know and I will send you a few. Failing that contact Will McLewin who sells seed.  http://www.phedar.com/catalog/ Seed is probably the best if not the longest way to get good plants

edit I should have said that as far as I know the Marietta form is a seed strain

[Paul T]

Tony, Ian et al,

How long are your Helleborus thibetanus above ground?  I think these only have a growing period of a few months a year don't they?  I have small seedlings from a lovely person here on the forum, but have had very little action from them at all.  I'm afraid only one surfaced this year (5 last year) and I think that I've probably lost the others.  I'm guessing that our summer temps are again the problem, but I am also concerned that I may be keeping them too moist?  I've had very few problems with any other Hellebore (heck, the orientalis hybrids are veritable weeds!), but I realise this one is apparently a very different creature.  Any pointers to growing them, particularly care when young?

Thanks in anticipation.

P.S.  Those striped ones pictured are just amazing.    Thanks so much for the pictures everyone.

[mark smyth]

Paul I cant tell you exactly but I think my plant is dormant by June

[ian mcenery]

Tony, Ian et al,

How long are your Helleborus thibetanus above ground?  I think these only have a growing period of a few months a year don't they?  I have small seedlings from a lovely person here on the forum, but have had very little action from them at all.  I'm afraid only one surfaced this year (5 last year) and I think that I've probably lost the others.  I'm guessing that our summer temps are again the problem, but I am also concerned that I may be keeping them too moist?  I've had very few problems with any other Hellebore (heck, the orientalis hybrids are veritable weeds!), but I realise this one is apparently a very different creature.  Any pointers to growing them, particularly care when young?

Thanks in anticipation.

P.S.  Those striped ones pictured are just amazing.    Thanks so much for the pictures everyone.

Paul all my plants disappear but this is variable some as late as August. My best plant is growing in woodsy soil and receives at least half shade. A clue I suppose is in the Chris's  photo from the wild. Maybe you are too warm in the summer and sometimes moisture and heat are a deadly combination. Hope this helps

[Paul T]

Thanks to you both.  I think that next time I get seed I am going to have to bite the bullet and sow them directly into the ground, to see if that helps.

Thanks again for the info.

[chris]

my H.thibetanus in the cold greenhouse start growing in november and disappear in may, the ones I have outside start growing at the end of november and depends on the weather they disappear when temperatures rising above 20°c.

Ian I dont now if the Marietta form is a seed strain, a few years ago I recived some H.thibetanus from China and they say it where H.thibetanus variegated form, they look like the photo of you, the variegation of the leaves looks more  a virus dissease, so I was afraid and put the plants in quarantaine, after flowering they all died, I had some seeds but cant remember where I sow them.
here two photos from my plants

[ian mcenery]

Chris I don't know the origin of the Marietta form. The picture I posted was from Will McLewin's nursery in 2006 and is one of about 10 plants growing together in an open polytunnel in order to get seed. These plants were well away from the other more full flowered pink forms.

By the way I have found it difficult to get much seed from thibetanus  and one does not seem to set at all. Seed set certainly seems to work better with more than one plant

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the very kind offer to send seed. If you have any to spare I would like to try the pink strain. It might be interesting to try it from seed. As I said earlier all the plants I have were originally imported by me into Australia from Chen Yi. I started with 10 and now I have 5 and no home grown seedlings. So thats not a record I am particularly proud of. My plants stay above ground for around 6 months but as I said earlier they don't "grow on" like other species and whatever seed is set usually succumbs to fungal attach despite a bit of a douse with Mancozeb.

Paul - I think we are just on the wrong side of OK for this species. It sounds bizzare saying that because its such an easy genus.

Cheers, Marcus

[johnw]

Chris - Every thibetanus we have tried can be traced back to Chen Yi.  All died and were heavily infected by virus. Variegated, they were all variegated by the time they departed!  We have never succeeded with seedlings either, they come up and fade away.

Ian - The Marietta strain is surely from the O'Byrne's Northwest Garden Nursery in Oregon. Ernie's wife is Marietta.

johnw

[ian mcenery]

Chris - Every thibetanus we have tried can be traced back to Chen Yi.  All died and were heavily infected by virus. Variegated, they were all variegated before they departed!  We have never succeeded with seedlings either.

Ian - The Marietta strain is surely from the O'Byrne's Northwest Garden Nursery in Oregon. Ernie's wife is Marietta?

johnw

John I thought this could be the case and it did seem logical but I think it needs confirmation 

[ian mcenery]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the very kind offer to send seed. If you have any to spare I would like to try the pink strain. It might be interesting to try it from seed. As I said earlier all the plants I have were originally imported by me into Australia from Chen Yi. I started with 10 and now I have 5 and no home grown seedlings. So thats not a record I am particularly proud of. My plants stay above ground for around 6 months but as I said earlier they don't "grow on" like other species and whatever seed is set usually succumbs to fungal attach despite a bit of a douse with Mancozeb.

Paul - I think we are just on the wrong side of OK for this species. It sounds bizzare saying that because its such an easy genus.

Cheers, Marcus

Marcus you are welcome. Please PM me with your address and I will send you some assuming I get seed set this year

[Maggi Young]

Surely the distribution of Helleborus thibetanus is so disjunct from other species that there should be no surprise that it requires a different set of cultural requirements than the other hellies  and this itself explains our various problems with it?

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Maggi,

Yes its probably the case but as genus hellebores display a remarkable tolerance to climatic and cultural stress. I guess there's always one prima donna in every family  .

There are few plants I have been prepared to give up on, especially when it would appear on the surface to be a relatively easy task to grow them, but I must say this is sitting on my "provisional list". Bit like Michael Clarke, our current Aussie cricket captain!

Cheer, Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

No use mentioning cricket to ur Maggi, she's never heard of Bradman OR Botham. Unless they ride a bike.

[Hillview croconut]

Sorry I forgot that cricket has no currency north of the Tweed. 

While on the subject of sport and thngs sporty - I was most chuffed that the volatile Serbian superstar, Novak Djokavic, after pulverizing The Fed last night took time to mention in the postmatch interview that he was delighted by the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens and that he took time to visit it everyday to relax and recharge. Probably the biggest free plug the place has had for a long time!

Marcus