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An interesting chimaeral plant that produces both pink and white flowers on the same branch. From time
to time the chimaera breaks down and only pink flowers are produced (I have never seen it produce
only white flowers). Pink flowers are less interesting - there are a wealth of cultivars that can do it
and my plant seems determined to join their dull ranks. To date it has spent 14 years persuing that dull objective. Trees and Shrubs online says: "Flowers pink or white, both colours appearing in the same truss but white predominating. Late summer. Habit upright, to about 5 ft. Introduced to Holland from Japan by Messrs Spaargaren and now in commerce in Britain." Although it is usually offered as 'Shirobana', Hilliers Manual tells that it was introduced from Japan in 1970 under the name 'Genpei'. I doubt that the name 'Shirobana' will go away. Milan Havlis says: "Genpei is a newer preferred name for this variety of Japanese spiraea that is commonly available in the nursery trade as Shirobana. It is truly an interesting piece with bi-coloured flowers. The corymbs come out in either rich pink colour or pure white. Sometimes one corymb may consist of flowers of both the colours and it has nothing to do with flower maturity. The leaves are a little darker green than on the species, more narrowly elliptic, shallowly serrated at margins. If regularly deadhead, at least once a week, the shrub will continue looking pretty and fresh without those ugly and dry seedpods. Moreover, blooming can be extended to early September this way. It naturally forms a low shrub of somewhat prostrate habit if neglected." |
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| 2nd December 2011 | ||
