Rheum nobile/alexandrae

[Philippe]

Update 2012

2 rheum nobile planted last fall in their final place.
4 others were planted in the propagation bed, so that they don't have to spend the winter unsheltered in plastic pots.

The result for this spring is really encouraging for the moment, with only one loss, one which was planted in the propagation bed.
The 3 others went quickly also in the himalayan bed 2/3 weeks ago, on their final place too, as I didn't want them to settle down possibly too firmly in the propagation bed, what could have been later rather more a difficult and hazardous extraction than a transplantation ( no idea how quick and how deep does the main root grow, but didn't want to take the risk of waiting longer)
Just as info, I didn't find any thick or long root on the 3 I put out of the propagation bed.











As you see, no huge difference for the moment between the 2 plants planted last fall ( pics 3/4), and the others transplanted for about 15 days. Transplantation was no stress ( well I took care of not touching any root).

However, all are still very small, the biggest leave of the strongest not reaching over 3 cms, and therefore still very vulnerable to every kind of possible threat ( possibly slugs?, heat, hail, underground mices).
But they are for the moment probably the most after cared plants of the garden, with every possible attention and surveillance from me.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm really pleased to see your little Rheums Philippe. Mine are all potted and like you, there has been just one loss. I was thinking a few days ago that maybe they all were going to die because their greenery is going yellow and brown and dying away. However, I think now this is just winter coming along and I hope to see them again about August/September. That's the difference between sowing in autumn in the SH and in spring in the NH. Some plants sown in autumn even though deciduous by nature, will come through the first, newly germinated winter growing well but others, and this seems to be one, die off at the time they normally would. That is my hope anyway. Their compost is largely humus and grit/gravel and they're standing on gravel so should drain well. No decisions yet about where to plant them out.

Yours look great and I wish them very well.

[Philippe]

The Rheum nobile have grown since last time and look quite healthy, having been favoured by the almost constantly fresh and wet weather ( most of the time 10/15°C by day when cloudy/rainy, up to 20/23°C on the rare sunny days)
Growth is slow, with 2 new leaves for each one, the first appeared during spring having only slightly increased in size meanwhile ( up to 4/5cm for the greatest ones)
As you will notice, it looks like as if 2 different kinds of plants were developing: 2 of them with clear green and somehow pointed leaves, and the others with rather leathery more rounded leaves of a darker green ( I really suspect R.alexandrae for the former lot, what would really be a pity).
As both seed lots are wild collected ( on 2 different occasions/places though), I wonder if there wouldn't be an identification mistake somewhere for one of them ( would be curious?!), or if R.nobile can be so variable in leaf shape/colour at such an early stage.











( pics of each rheum sorted the same way as in the previous post)

[hanninkj]

On 12-06-2012 I saw in China at 4500 m young plants(see picture) and on about 400 mthere were a lot of plants in water so very wet. At that time there was o bud of flower in the plants.
I have got one plant 1 year ago and this plant grows very well but ubder rather wet condition.

Ton

[Lesley Cox]

This plant immediately above looks very like Rheum delavayi. What do you think? Mine grows to just about 3 or 4 cms in height in leaf and the flower grows to maybe 10cms.

[Lesley Cox]

Yesterday I noticed in the vegetable garden, the fat round blobs of rhubard breaking through their winter black stuff so I trotted over to look at R. nobile and every one (13) has a tiny green leaf appearing, a great relief as they were so small when they died back for winter. In another 6 or 8 months Philippe, mine should be as big as yours and I hope thriving so well.

[hanninkj]

I had the wrong picture. At the top of mountain Shika Shan I saw the R. delavayi and lower the R. alexandrae.

Ton

[Lesley Cox]

A lovely picture of R. delavayi all the same, beautifully coloured and marked. Mine is just beginning to show through - thankfully.

[Philippe]

Yesterday I noticed in the vegetable garden, the fat round blobs of rhubard breaking through their winter black stuff so I trotted over to look at R. nobile and every one (13) has a tiny green leaf appearing, a great relief as they were so small when they died back for winter. In another 6 or 8 months Philippe, mine should be as big as yours and I hope thriving so well.

Hi Lesley

Great that all your R.nobile made it through winter! It's such an excitement to see that new tiny pointed green spot looking out of the seemingly dead stems in spring, I remember of mines in May, how deeply happy I was then to see that life coming again. I wish yours all the best now and I suppose that if they find the weather to their taste in the next months by you and through your careful attention to them, they should be even bigger than mines by the end of the growing season.
Don't forget the pics Lesley!
I might post a last update of mines by the end of august.

[Philippe]

I have just found this pic. An encouraging sight, as one can see that Rheum nobile not only grows in unreachable/cold heights, but for example here just a few hundred meters above tree-line, on what seems to be quite a sunny slope.
The cool root-run is nevertheless guaranteed with this layer of beautiful stones ( wish I had them to put in the beds  )

[Maggi Young]

A spectacular photograph - both the plants and the scene 

[Lesley Cox]

At present we live at 300 metres above sea level and quite close to the coast so the tolerance levels of my little plants will be tested to the full. When we move, whenever that is, it is most likely the altitude will me much less. I may have to obtain a dedicated refrigerator or perhaps send my plants to live with others whose conditions better suit it. That would be a shame as this is one of my "holy grail" plants.

[Philippe]

Why the hell there is no alpine garden in NewZealand south Island??? There isn't anyone, isn't it?
I am pretty sure miracles would be achieved there too

Here my last update of the year about the rheum nobile I think. Results are really encouraging, more than ever, I now strongly hope that the next winter will be rheum_nobile_friendly ( 4/5 months snow cover), to help the plants to settle down further and become stronger for next summer.

I put out the 2 rheum which will very most probably be R.alexandrae, and kept the 3 hopefully true nobile.







As you see, the lower leaves begin to get yellow/brown, and I really like the fact that a last new healthy leave is emerging in each rosette of the 3 rheum. I don't know why, but somehow I think the roots are now deep and strong enough to sustain new growth even so late in the season, having the possibility at the same time to let the older leaves die down, as if they were not absolutely necessary for the plant.
I can't explain it really, but again, I really appreciate that sign.
I may be wrong also. I decide to be optimistic though 

A new patch of potted seedlings is waiting in the propagation area, but they will surely not be planted out this year, or I must rapidly find place for some of them at least.
I am tempted to plant out the 2 pseudo nobile/alexandrae to install 2 further true nobile at that place, but well...

[Lesley Cox]

Philippe, there are many alpine gardens in the South Island, or perhaps it would be more accurate to call them rock gardens as almost all - these are private gardens of rock/alpine gardeners - are coastal or nearly so and far from the higher reaches of the mountain areas. Certainly the Dunedin Botanic Garden has a very good public rock garden and I'm not sure what there is in Christchurch nowadays. At least one NZAGS member lives at Wanaka among the southern lakes and mountains and would perhaps be in the best position to have a garden such as I think you may have in mind.

Unfortunately there is never likely to be any kind of true alpine garden in the alpine regions as those interested in native plants are determined on the exclusion of OTHER than native plants. I can imagine that some of our native growers who spend time in the mountains would be utterly horrified at the though of a Rheum, an Androsace or Saxifraga making its way into our alpine regions. They are totally obsessed with keeping New Zealand's flora exclusive. There have been good lessons of course, such as gorse and old man's beard but even so, there would be no support from anyone, I should think, for a public or commercial alpine garden in those parts of the country where it would best succeed.

[Philippe]

It's a huge pleasure to begin the Rheum nobile observations again in 2013. The 2 years seedlings that were planted in the himalayan bed are actually all 3 still here.
There was a bit of fear right after snowmelt as the little plants were difficult to locate without any sign of new growth, but after some days of exposition to air and light, the first new leave soon appeared on each seedling.
The most advanced of the three is already about to unfold its second leave, although it wasn't the first to get out of the snowcover.
They seem to be now firmly anchored in the soil, they almost didn't move sidewards anymore when I gently pushed them to test their "solidity".







Another 1 year seedling from another sowing was planted in the same bed during fall last year, and looks presently pretty happy too. It will probably join the next update then. 

The rest of the same sowing, 7 plants, spent the winter in individual pots on the propagation area.
The snow has just melted there for 3 days, but a new pointed red leave is already appearing on some of them, another very encouraging result.