Polygonatum vert. "Himalayan Giant"
Jane McGary (Fri, 07 Mar 2014 09:22:00 PST)
Aaron wrote:
The "Himalayan Giant" was a name given to an Indian form of
"verticillatum" and sold by Hoog and Dix. It seems to be abundant
in nurseries in the EU, but mostly absent in the US.
It should have larger flowers on longer peduncles and it is a
larger plant overall. I am not sure what it really is at this
point, but I know it is not verticillatum. The problem is that
there are several non-cirrhose, whorled, leaved Polygonatum in
northern India, Nepal and eastward into China.
That seems to explain why I have two different-looking plants under
the name Polygonatum verticillatum. One is larger than the other in
all parts and spreads faster too. Several interesting Polygonatum
species have shown up at nurseries and plant sales in the Portland,
Oregon area in recent years, particularly some introduced by Diana
Reeck of Collectors Nursery. They are a useful foliage contrast with
other shade-tolerant plants such as hostas and ferns, and the stems
in flower or later can be cut for elegant, long-lasting arrangements.
Although some spread fast, they are shallow-rooted (here, anyway) and
thus easily controlled.
Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA