Kerria japonica white/cream form wanted

[Alan_b]

I imagine we are all familiar with the little yellow pompom flowers of Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora' as this is widely cultivated here in the UK.  It does particularly well in the dryer shadier spots in my dry garden (in that it manages to survive where most other shrubs would not).  Last week I noticed my local garden centre was selling the single yellow form, which I don't recall seeing before.  I wasn't completely sold on this but a bit of research lead me to discover that there is a white or pale cream form called "Albiflora" or "Albescens" which I would like to try in my garden.  Unfortunately the two nurseries listed by the RHS 'Plant Finder' as selling it are out of stock now and for the foreseeable future.  Does anybody grow this plant or know where it can be obtained?  Searching online makes me think it is more readily available in the USA than in the EU - but that's not really any good for me here.  

[Maggi Young]

I cannot say I have ever seen this plant offered, Alan.

Have you tried Binny Plants?   I'll see if they have it listed. nope, they don't.

[Casalima]

It seems rather lovely and very difficult to find. There's a nursery in south-west France that I'll be seeing at the end of the month and used to have it - I might send them an email asking them about it.

[WimB]

Is it possible this "white Kerria" is placed in another genus? Rhodotypos scandens??

[Maggi Young]

Is it possible this "white Kerria" is placed in another genus? Rhodotypos scandens??

 Perhaps, Wim  

In the Kew listing, Rhodotypos scandens has   Kerria tetrapetala Siebold shown as a synonym, no mention of Kerria japonica.

If it is, then there are 24 nurseries listed for that plant in the RHS plantfinder :
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/pfregions.asp?ID=79869

[Alan_b]

Is it possible this "white Kerria" is placed in another genus? Rhodotypos scandens??

That's a good suggestion, Wim.  I have actually seen pictures of a pale cream version and a purer white version.  Perhaps that latter is really Rhodotypos scandens?

Meanwhile a bit of lateral thinking with the Google search results lead me to this source in France http://pcsdl.vad.free.fr/contents/fr/d107.html (scroll down the list).  Unfortunately the cost of shipping to the UK is a good deal greater than the cost of the plant.

Thanks for all the responses.         

[Casalima]

And this might also explain why the French nursery that I was looking at (http://pack.aspeco.net/thoby not far from your one, Alan) no longer has the Kerria but now has Rhodotypos scandens! (at 8 euros for a 10 cm pot)

[fleurbleue]

Alan, I can send Rhodotypos scandens seeds from my shrub to you if you wish, but I don't think it looks really like a Kerria japonica Alba.

[Onion]

Is it possible this "white Kerria" is placed in another genus? Rhodotypos scandens??

Their is a white form in Kerria japonica. But as Alan_b mentioned more familiar in the States than in Europe. Rhodotypos scandens is called in Germany as White Kerria or False Kerria, but can not compare with Kerria. I think the name of the white Kerria is 'Albescens'

[Alan_b]

I think the name of the white Kerria is 'Albescens'

I have seen both 'Albescens' and 'Albiflora' used as names but I don't know if the two names describe different cultivars or not.

[Casalima]

Finally looked up the plants in my books, as I should/could have done earlier, and while the white Kerria and Rhodotypos scandens are superficially similar, they are of course quite different - apart from anything else, Rhodotypos scandens has four petals and (non-double) Kerria has five!

[Lesley Cox]

We have always - in my lifetime - had the single yellow form of Kerria japonica in New Zealand. I knew it long before I saw the double, which I like less, but I've never seen or heard of a white or creamy form. Rhodotypos scandens is relatively common.

[zephirine]

There is also a pale yellow, simple form, called Kerria japonica 'Buttercup'. Not fully white, but looks white from a distance.

[Casalima]

I see that the garden I'll be visiting at the end of the month has the white form: Kerria at Iturraran. I'll ask them about it.

[Alan_b]

Thanks to everybody for all this help.  The four/five petal distinction between Rhodotypos & Kerria had completely passed me by so I am particularly indebted to Casalima for pointing this out.