March 2011 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Brian Ellis]

Thank you Luc and Angie for the prompt on Sanguinaria canadensis 'Star' it means I have now ordered one from Pitcairn Alpines before they are sold out this year...fingers crossed

[David Nicholson]

One of my favourites too Giles but it keeps leaving me!

Here's my annual pic of my unknown Rhododendron. We've had it more than ten years now and it's been really good value. Cost me 50p

David that's one hell of an exclamation point,how big is it exactly i cant tell from your pic.

Dave, it's about 4' high and occupies an area about 3' 6" square. When we bought it it came as a "twig" in a 4" pot

[David Nicholson]

David,
post a close picture of the rhododendron in the rhododendron thread. Maybe John can identify it!

I'll give it a try Uli, thanks.

[cohan]

Some plants which are flowering here in my garden now:

Caltha palustris 'alba'
Ranunculus crenata
Ranunculus ficaria 'Greenpetal'
Ranunculus ficaria 'Ken Aslett'
Saxifraga scardica f. olymp and Saxifraga marginata
Saxifraga sempervivum f. stenophylla and Saxifraga marginata f. milica
Soldanella 'Spring Symphony'
and the first Trillium of the season

I'm way behind here! I've been passing the hours waiting for snow to melt, looking at tropical plants...lol
All the spring flowers from everyone are delightful! The Caltha does catch my eye, since regular yellow ones are so common (wild) here.. I should watch for some whites to keep them company 

[Hoy]

Not strange you lag behind Cohan, if you still write March! 

[Lesley Cox]

I think the white form is from Asia. Isn't it the one sometimes called C. p. himalaicum?

[cohan]

Not strange you lag behind Cohan, if you still write March! 

Well, my weather is still March 

Lesley, not sure of the ins and outs of the naming, the flowers in Wim's pic look quite different, but then I have photos of the local yellows with very varied flower types....
I have seen a few different Calthas on seedlists, but hearing they are short lived seed, haven't seen much point spending money on them!

[Lesley Cox]

Years ago I bought seed of the white from Jack Drake's Inshriach nursery in the north of Scotland. It took 3 orders before I finally got one to germinate. It remained a miffy plant all its life and it wasn't until I was able to get a couple of seedlings from it that THEY grew well and vigorously and finally gave me good seed. Lost those too eventually, in a garden move I think but I've been able to replace it locally. No seed though in two flowerings.

[gote]

Wim, I am no trillium expert, but your T.sessile true looks like the plant I have as T. petiolatum as the leaves have distinct stalks. 

Trillium petiolatum certainly has petioles but it hardly has any stem.
This is definitely recurvatum. The sepals are turning downwards between the "leaves".
It looks rather funny holding its hands above its head. Ona cannot mistake it.
The true sessile has a kind of domed center with fairly short petals and is a fairly small species.
This was the first sessile Trillium to be described so many other sessile Trilliums have been given this name by mistake.
I post a couple of pictures that show what I mean.
My earliest Trillium is just poking up so I use old pics.
The snow went last week!!
Göte

[gote]

At last the snow is gone and the first flowers show. Eranthis, Galanthus and the first Hepaticas.
My only H transsylvanica has a lot of big leaves and ONE flower. I do not think it likes me.
The Helleborus thibetanus are coming well but not as well as last year. One of these was striped last year but now the stripes are gone.
The wonderful and big surprise is Heloniopsis tubiflora 'Temple Blue' originally from Crug but sent to me by a friend.
It is not only a fantastic colour, It is as early as the snowdrops (nivalis) and seems completely unperturbed by the severe winter.
I divided my clump of two-flowered, yellow-tipped Leucojum vernum last year and they seem to have survived my harsh treatment but the tips are nearly green this year. They are also unusually early.
Cheers
Göte
   

[annew]

What a fantastic Heloniopsis, Gote!

[David Nicholson]

Lovely stuff Gote.

[Lesley Cox]

My reaction to the Heloniopsis is the same as Anne's. Really superb and something quite new to the Forum I think?

[gote]

Thank you for the appreciation.
Heloniopsis seem to like me so i will try to get more of them. My orientalis are only fat buds at ground level This one is outstandingly early. Very appreciated after a long winter. Ypsilandra thibetica is also in flower but not quite up to par this year. I will try to divide and replant.
Cheers
Göte

[cohan]

Thank you for the appreciation.
Heloniopsis seem to like me so i will try to get more of them. My orientalis are only fat buds at ground level This one is outstandingly early. Very appreciated after a long winter. Ypsilandra thibetica is also in flower but not quite up to par this year. I will try to divide and replant.
Cheers
Göte

There was a thread on these somewhere--here or NARGS? great group of woodlanders I will be watching for, for sure!