That Elusive Fragrance in the Garden

Since i started this blog in january last year one plant has been on the top of the list almost every day. It has the most hits every day other than ‘namethatplant.com. I have wondered why this is, maybe it’s the early time of year that it blooms, or is it the color of it’s flowers, or is it that it has very fragrant flowers…I think it is all of this and it’s genus. It’s genus is Viburnum and there are many other wonderful members to explore. One member which I am seeing increasingly here is  the Korean Spicebush Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) and its wonderful named selections.

Vibrunum carlesii has light to almost red buds which open to pale pink in to a pure white.

Korean Spicebush comes to us from (not to surprisingly) Korea mainly and ranges into areas of Japan. There are two varieties, var bitchiense which is found in Korea and on the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku, it has narrower leaves and the individual flowers have longer tubes. Var. carlesii alos comes from Korea but is found in southern areas as well as the southern Japanese island of Tsushima which is found near the larger island Kyushu.

This Korean Spicebush Viburnum has broader leaves.

The Viburnum genus is quite large and consists of 150-175 separate species. They are almost all found in the northern hemisphere and are found around the globe through North America, Europe and Asia. There are a few species scattered in mountain ranges of South America and North Africa as well as south east Asia.

Viburnums always have attractive foliage and Korean Spicebush is no exception.

Viburnum is the original Latin name for the species and it is thought that the particular type was possibly Viburnum lantana. Carlesii refers to William Richard Carles (1849 – 1929) who collected plants in Korea during the years of 1883-85. He was the British Vice- Consul in China from 1867 to 1900.  During that time he was posted to Korea and took several trips to explore the interior of the country. He sent plants which he collected to The Royal Botanic Garden in England.

This Viburnum carlesii is found in a shady part of Beacon Hill Park.

Several wonderful selections of Korean Spicebush have been made at the famous Slieve Donnard Nursery in Northern Ireland and these are probably are found in better gardens in my area. They are: ’Aurora’ which has pinkish flowers, ‘Diana’ is said to be more vigorous, and ‘Charis’ has white flowers.  More recently new forms have been named  in North America.

This Vibrunum carlesii is found in the refurbished Japanese Tea garden found in Esquimalt Gorge Park.

Viburnums are fantastic garden plants which offer several seasons of beauty. Many have beautifully veined leaves which turn wondrous shades of amber, peach and scarlets in the fall. Many offer copious amounts of red or blackish berries also.  Korean Spicebush is no exception and this which is why it is an excellent garden plant. The scent where it gets it name is powerful and said to smell like Daphne or cloves.  Use this plant near travelled area, open windows or enclosed areas which have afternoon sun to release more scent.

A recently planted Virburnum carlesii is found in the lower cutting garden beside Government House.

Viburnum carlesii is an easy and accommodating plant to grow in the garden. It likes moist acidic well drained soil. It likes to be positioned in an area where it gets afternoon sun or full sun, this promotes better flowering and fruiting. It grows to be a rounded shrub of about 1.8m(6ft) high and slightly wider. It is quite hardy taking -20c(-4f) with no trouble at all. As it sets buds on old wood, the best time to prune is just after it blooms. Pruning is generally not needed except for shaping.

Stronger light leads to better heads of flowers and fruit on a Korean Spicebush.

Links to like:

A good source of information: 
http://www.hort.net/profile/cap/vibca/

Another informative page on this plant: 
http://hcs.osu.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/vi_lesii.html

A general Wiki page on Viburnums: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viburnum

The more plants I grow the more I know…

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C is for Camellias, Japanese Camellias.

When I started horticulture school in North Vancouver I learned many plants which I thought would grow in greenhouses here. I was surprised to learn over time that this area has the best climate and the widest range of plant materials of anywhere in the world. This is do to the mild climate, not too hot or cold. One plant which I saw during the winter which looked very plain and burst forth in incredible bloom at this time of year were Camellias and specifically Camellia japonica(Japanese Camellia). These flowers look so incredibly beautiful to me.

Camellia japonica 'Debutante' is one of the most popular named cultivars seen here.

Who would not want to fall in love with these beautiful plants. Japanese Camellias come in colors ranging from the purest white through pinks and corals in to blood reds. Some are blotched while other blooms are lined or edged with contrasting color. Many flower forms from single to double with many variations in between add to the interest  when waiting for a newly discovered plant to bloom.

Camellia (Contessa) 'Lavina Maggi' is an old variety which originated in Italy in 1858.

Camellias have long been cultivated and hybridized in their native Japan. They are found in the wild growing in the woods and hills on down to sea level on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. 3 varieties are recognized there and it is related to the flower shape and structure. The lowland form has upright flowers with filaments joined for 1/3 to 1/2 their length. The upland form is subspecies(subsp.) rusticana(honda) and has a more open flower with the stamen fused only at the base. The third variety has large fruit which have thick walls and are variety(var.) macrocarpa and are found by the mountains  on south Shikoku  and Yakushima islands.

I found this interesting Camellia japonica form in Beacon Hill Park.

Japanese Camellia were first introduced to Europe in 1739 by Lord Petre.  Portugal was one of the first places where Camellias where grown and appreciated. Linnaeus named these plants after Joseph Camellus or Kamel (1661-1706) who was a Moravian Jesuit priest that travelled and wrote about the plants especially those on the island of Luzon in the Phillipines.

The beautiful and unusual Camellia japonica 'Magnoliaeflora'

When Japanese Camellias where first introduced in the England they were thought to not be hardy. Wealthy plant collectors would build special greenhouses to keep their collections in. Several of these buildings still exist and have plants which grow up to the roof in them, one famous example is at Chatsworth House, the home of famous plant collectors the Dukes of Devonshire.

I found this Camellia Japonica cultivar at Esquimalt Gorge Park where a famous Japanese Tea Gardens are.

From Europe the wonderful Japanese Camellia has been grown throughout the world. Australia and New Zealand now have well known hybridizers who have given new vigour in to developement of new flowers.  Some of the best newer Camellia are crosses with other species such as reticulata, and especially saluenensis which is more hardy.

Camellia x williamsii 'Donation', probably the most beautiful and sucessful japonica x saluenensis cross.

we are lucky that Japanese Camellias are very adaptable and easy to please. They can grow to very large sizes with time, up to 9m(30ft) in height and 4.5m wide, I have seen very large plants which are taller than a house here. Fortunately giant plants take many, many years as Camellias are considered to be slow growers. Japanese Camellias like early season sun but need to be protected from strong light later in the year, ideal situations are under or near large deciduous trees and other woodland sites.. They yellow and burn when the sun is too strong here. they also need to be sheltered from cold, freezing, drying winds as the early blooms can be damaged by frost.

Camellia japonica 'Jury's Yellow', a 1976 developement from New Zealand.

Japanese Camellias like good slightly acidic or neutral soils with good spring moisture for when they are growing and producing their blooms and leaves. Camellias are used as specimens, container plants, accents or even as informal hedges. They fit into shrub borders and the back of perennial beds for color when the bulbs come up. They require little or no pruning and are extremely long lived, plants can live several hundred years.

This Camellia was formerly known as 'Lady Clare', we are now using its correct Japanese name 'Akashi-Gata'

Some interesting and ravishing places for you to look at:

An interesting Japanese site in English:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/plantsandjapan/page021.html

A vast collection of pages and pictures to identify Camellias:
http://www.camelieantiche.com/index.php?osCsid=d57514480eeb38224cef68ba02bb1b9d

An incredible slide show of the 2008 Spanish Camellia Show:

Wiki page on Camellia japonica:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_japonica

Until we meet again soon….

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