Common Name:     ‘ Endless Summer’ Hydrangea

Botanical Name:      Hydrangea macrophylla ‘PIIHM-1’

A recent visit by an old friend who now lives in Ottawa and is a landscape designer for a company called Endless Summer Landscaping is the inspiration for this weeks’ subject. One of the most common questions I get from participants of our pruning seminars is when to prune a hydrangea and why doesn’t my hydrangea bloom! Well now it’s really simple if you plant one of the ‘Endless Summer’ collection of these gorgeous plants that bloom on both old and new wood. The original ‘Endless Summer’ is a re-blooming hydrangea that repeats blooming all summer – no matter how you prune it, with flowers that are pink or blue depending on your soil pH. ‘Blushing Bride’ , ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘Bloom Struck’ are the latest introductions to this line of  easy to grow, large and  lush hydrangeas. ‘Twist and Shout’ is a re-blooming lacecap form, with lacy centers and deep pink sterile flowers that turn blue, again depending on the soil pH. Its red stems are a sign of its parentage of ‘Lady in Red’ hydrangea and its lush green foliage changes to a red-burgundy colour in the fall – outstanding. So many hydrangeas – so little room!

Common Name:      Poinsettia

Botanical Name:      Euphorbia pulcherrima

This being the last week before Christmas what better plant to talk about than the Poinsettia (after all ‘tis the Season) Let’s begin with a little history and a legend or two. Poinsettias are native to Mexico, and the Aztecs called them ‘Cuetlaxochitl’ meaning ‘flower that grows in residues of soil’. Today the plant is known in Mexico as ‘La Flor de la Nochebuena’ (Flower of the Holy Night) Poinsettias received their name in the United States in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced them into the country in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first US Ambassador to Mexico. In Mexico the poinsettia is a perennial shrub that grows up to 15 feet tall! Here in Canada they are all grown in greenhouses starting in early July, and ready for sale just after Remembrance Day. There are now more than 100 different varieties – from the traditional red to white, pink, burgundy, marbled, speckled and more. The showy coloured parts of Poinsettias that most people think of as flowers are actually modified leaves called bracts. The flowers are actually yellow and are found in the centre of the bracts, for the longest lasting Poinsettias choose plants with little or no yellow pollen showing. Poinsettias are not poisonous, this idea started in 1919 with an urban myth that a two-year old child died from eating poinsettia leaves. Research has shown that a 50 pound child would have to eat at least 500 leaves to reach a potentially toxic dose. Here at our greenhouse facility in Nelson we grow about 10,000 plants for the local market and ship them even in the coldest of December Days, so here are some tips for you to get the best results: Take your plant home in a warm car immediately, don’t leave it in a cold car while continuing your shopping. Make sure your plant is well wrapped, to avoid a cold shock. Keep your Poinsettia in a room with at least 20 C temperature, in a bright location. Keep it away from hot or cold drafts, and do not overwater – let it dry out somewhat before re-watering and remove the foil from the pot so that the water can drain out!

From our Family to Yours –  Merry Christmas

Common Name:      San Jose Holly

Botanical Name:      Ilex  x  aquipernyi   ‘San Jose’

Known for its abundant, beautiful red berries and glossy evergreen leaves, San Jose holly is a hybrid whose ancestry includes English Holly (Ilex aquifolium).  San Jose Holly, unlike its rather invasive English cousin, has sterile berries, so is a much better choice for our landscape! It is a large evergreen shrub that provides year round interest with its handsome foliage and showy fall and winter fruit. Narrow and conical in habit, it has shiny, rich green, diamond shaped leaves, with small yellowish female flowers that appear in the spring. It will need pollen from a male variety to then produce the lustrous red berries that we associate with winter and of course the Christmas season.  It grows equally well in sun or part shade; make sure the soil is well drained, fertile and slightly acidic. Many other cultivars are available such as: San Gabriel Holly, Japanese Ink Berry as well as some beautiful cream or gold variegated forms. Be careful to keep the berries out of reach of pets and children, birds will feed on them after the first frosts of the season and will provide them with a good source of winter food.

Common Name:      Scarlett Jewel Maple

Botanical Name:      Acer rubrum

Continuing on with our fall colour guide, I would like to introduce to you a gorgeous fall colouring, red Maple called Scarlett Jewel. In this part of BC, autumn is a time to witness and celebrate nature’s transformation into a mesmerizing colour scheme – Scarlett Jewel turns an absolutely wonderful shade of crimson. Its upright habit, consistent fall colour and its resistance to frost cracking makes it one of my favorite new Maple tree introductions. Developed in Northern Minnesota by Bailey Nurseries, it starts its fall colour display a full two weeks earlier than other Acer rubrum varieties! and its brilliant show of red flowers in spring add to its year round interest. Like most Acer rubrums Scarlett Jewel prefers a moist, slightly acidic soil and full sun. It is a great shade tree and will grow in a symmetrical form up to about 20 meters – so give it enough room to grow. If you love the colours of autumn as much as I do, I think you will fall in love with Scarlett Jewel and find a place for it in your Kootenay landscape!