Wednesday, February 11

Garrya Elliptica - Dripping with tassels



 Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett



26 comments:

  1. Is this in your own garden? No wonder you knew what it was when I recently posted a photo of one. I've never heard of it before but it's a beautiful shrub.

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    1. It is, Jo, It;s ay its best at this time of year. It's evergreen but a bit nondescrip over spring and summer.

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  2. I have a Garrya in my front garden and due to the relatively kind weather the tassels are really long and tidy this year - just like yours. They make a real point of interest at a time of year when there's still not a lot else about.
    Out of interest - have you ever tried cutting your Garrya back really severely ? Every year I cut off lumps here and there (where they stick over the path), but wondered how successfully a Garrya can be rejuvenated with really drastic pruning.

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    1. Our original plant grew up an arbour SandD and needed severely cutting back each year - mainly outward facing branches, To be honest it didn't look as good chopping away every year especially as I was trying ti keep it flat which didn't come naturally. If it has become too big I'm fairly sure that a severe cut back will allow it to regenerate. M

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  3. They are beautiful. We cannot grow them but you see a lot of them on the West coast where they are native.

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    1. I didn't know they grew in the wild in your part if the world Alain - well nearly your part of the world.

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  4. It looks beautiful, is that a recent photo? the sky looks a glorious colour in the background.

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    1. The photos were taken on Monday, Jo. Strangely it seems that the tassels always have a blue sky period. The blue sky seems to be just waiting to show off the plant,

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  5. Is it supported by anything? I'd love one, just no idea where to put it!

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    1. This one is a cutting, Jessica that I managed to get going from our original plant, I decided that I wanted to train it as a tree so it is on one stem - well it was I suppose it may have suckered behind the aucuba - I'll have to look. My aim was to have the tassels drip down from the top hence the tree idea, When planted the trunk needed a little help as it was a bit flimsy for the head and so I toed it with string to a fence pole just to stop it flopping forward. That was about ten years ago and now it supports itself. It never really worked for me trained against something I prefer the free standing version.
      This link should take you to a photo taken in 2004

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  6. That's possibly be best specimen of this plant I've seen Sue - WOW!

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  7. It's having its moment. Glorious.

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  8. Gosh....what a stunner!!! Fantastic!xxx

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  9. I am so envious! I grew a Garrya Elliptica for many years especially for its tassels and nary a one did it produce even though I ordered the correct gender and gave it a choice position in a south facing border:(

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    1. I think ours is James Roof sweffling. The lack of tassels is strange as it must be its main selling point,

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  10. Beautiful tassels! I have never seen a plant like this here.

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  11. Never seen this plant before! It's so awesome!

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  12. Interesting - What type of cutting did you do Sue and when in the year (because Garryas are evergreens). I'm going to have a go at that.

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    1. It's a long time ago SandD but I would have done this after cutting back new growth in summer so the cutting would have been semi ripe and just taken to see what happened really.

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  13. 'm so glad you posted these photos after our discussion about Garrya over at mine. It certainly is having its moment of glory. I like how you've planted it with other plants poised to take over the garden's interest once the tassels have gone.

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