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A plant that I bought from the local AGS meeting. Probably a seedling from 'Rubrifolia' or 'Wada's Variety'. Writing in 'The Garden' (Journal of the RHS) in 1986, W. A. Tait says: "A bold patch of Saxifraga fortunei is a lovely sight on an autumn morning when the sun catches the large, billowy panicle of white flowers on stems 12 to 18 inches tall (30-45cm), It is not so appealing when the frost catches the flowers and leaves and they end up in a soggy brown mess, as can often happen with this late flowering plant. Earlier in the year, the reoundish, lobed leaves are dark green on the upper surface and the under sidesw are a dark red shade, seen when there is a gusting wind. This saxifrage from China and Japan prefers a cool, moist woodland setting. The Flora of China says: "Forests, rock crevices; 2200-2900 m. Hubei, S Jilin, Liaoning, Sichuan. Writing in 'The Plantsman' about the RHS trial of Saxifraga fortunei, Malcolm McGregor says: "There are far fewer plants that flower in autumn than in spring and summer - those that do need to be cherished by gardeners. In the border chrysanthemums and Michaelmas daisies form the flowering backbone... Less well-known are the autumn-flowering saxifrages of section Irregulares froim eastern Asia, that used to be known as Diptera saxifrages... In autumn, however, it is the many variants of S. fortunei, most originally stemming from Japan, that are increasingly becoming available. They are notable for their often spectacularly complex and dramatically coloured flowers, and it was thesae cultivars of S. fortunei that were recently trialled at the RHS Garden Wisley. In the wild, such saxigrages inhabit shaded or semi-shaded banks, with plenty of moisture. In the garden, moisture and shelter are equally appropriate, although some of the smaller forms will survive in less sheltered sites. |
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| 27th October 2018 | ||
