| Author |
Message |
    
Euphorbphreak
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 12:36 am EST : |   
 |
I like digitalis and have been looking for other species beyond the standard boxstore type, which is usually a D. purpurea hybrid (I have some of those too).
This is a nice perennial Digitalis x mertonensis. It's reportedly short-lived, but it has been around for 4 years already.
I also have this shrubby Digitalis obscura from Spain. It's also perennial.
This is a Digitalis purpurea ssp. heywoodii 'Silver Fox'. It has very thick 'fur' on the stems and leaves. Its growth habit reminds me more of Salvia canariensis.
This last one was a disappointment (but a pretty one). It was supposed to be a Digitalis ferruginea 'Gigantea', also a rusty color, but it is nothing like it at all. Does anyone know what species this is?
David, the other CA, 10/17 |
Kniphofia
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 07:26 am EST : |
|
They are all wonderful David!
Kniphofia
- Maine,
Zone "4"
|
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 09:46 am EST : |
|
I like your digitalis obscura a lot. That's one I've never had - probably wouldn't be hardy here anyway.
Could your little pale plant be digitalis lutea? Mine have seeded themselves all over the garden (probably via the compost heap).
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
|
Gardenbug
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 10:15 am EST : |
|
Hmmm, doesn't look like my lutea, but the habit of seeding everywhere certainly is similar!
Gardenbug
- Ontario,
Zone "4/5"
|
Euphorbphreak
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 02:27 pm EST : |
|
Mara, thanks...it looks like we have a match in the plants, but now I wonder about the ID! I can even see the tiny hairs on yours that show up a bit in my pic too. There's not a trace of yellow on mine, but I read that the flowers can be white. Marie, do you have a picture of yours?
I was off looking online for some descriptions and pics and many of what is supposed to be D. lutea do look different. For example,
http://forum.funghiitaliani.it/index.php?showtopic=14025 shows some slight serration on the leaves, while mine look entirely smooth. The last pic on that page is very similar, but like Mara's the flowers on mine are all decidedly on one side, while this shows them more distributed around the stem.
I hope it is D. lutea. Monique sent me some seed and I had 6 seedlings and they all died of thirst during a long weekend away before I got them planted. This might bring me better karma now.
David, the other CA, 10/17 |
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 02:55 pm EST : |
|
I just examined the others in the garden. Some have the flowers on one side, some all around. I'd say the last picture on your link looks just like some of mine. The leaves are always slightly serrated and the colour more cream than white.
Very confusing. I hope Marie and others will post pictures of their Digitalis lutea.
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
|
Gardenbug
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 03:32 pm EST : |
|
Do you think this is the same? It seems much more "lutea" to me. The blooms look quite different to my eye and the foliage more green.
Gardenbug
- Ontario,
Zone "4/5"
|
Lafko06
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 09:42 pm EST : |
|
On the same topic, can someone tell me if the digitalis are all bi-ennial? If so, do you just plant more the next year to keep flowers blooming each year? Thank you.
Lafko06
- Massachusetts,
Zone "5"
|
Euphorbphreak
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 11:51 pm EST : |
|
That's a very pretty one Marie! But I would have to say it's different from what Mara and I have growing. And yours is definitely more lutea-like buttery in color. The flowers don't seem to have the distinct twin points on top like we have. So, will the real Digitalis lutea please stand up? :)
Lafko...some are biennial and some perennial, and there are many, many species! Of the ones here, D. mertonensis and D. obscura are perennial. D. purpurea is biennial (though I have several that keep coming back anyway). I think D. lutea is biennial too.
David, the other CA, 10/17 |
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 06:52 am EST : |
|
Could Marie's be D grandiflora? I used to grow that one too, and the flowers were (as the name suggests) much bigger. Also darker in colour and spotted inside.
Here are two links for comparison
grandiflora
lutea
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
|
Gardenbug
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 11:11 am EST : |
|
I think you are right, judging by the photos, Mara. I don't think the nurseries here know what they are talking about by and large. I had a second version long ago which also claimed to be lutea, and it had minuscule blooms. It was quite sweet. I certainly like the one you and David have!
Gardenbug
- Ontario,
Zone "4/5"
|
Formerly_ci
My Favorite Photo
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 12:55 pm EST : |
|
Mara and David have D. lutea or another species that is very similar (there are probably over 100 species of Digitalis and there is much confusion about them in the trade and in literature. I wish someone would write a really good book on them).
Marie you have Digitalis grandiflora (aka Digitalis ambigua). Larger yellow flowers and one of the parents of D. X mertonensis.
Kaveh, Back in New Jersey, zone 6 |
Cahenry
My Favorite Photo
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 03:17 pm EST : |
|
I'm glad you cleared that up, Kaveh. The lutea is charming! I'll have to look for that. It's the kind of plant I'd like to have reseeding about.
Cahenry
- Georgia,
Zone "7"
|
Galanthophile
My Favorite Photo
My Garden
| | Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 04:14 pm EST : |
|
I had lutea for a while but lost it due to it being too dry. The flowers are small. More people should grow the species. My favourite of all is parviflora - wonderful small chocolate brown flowers about 3ft tall.
Galanthophile
- Ann (Northern England),
Zone "8"
|
Lulubelle
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 06:14 pm EST : |
|
I have oodles of digitalis amibigua that just multiplies more and more each year. I love them. They just keep reseeding themselves.
Lulubelle
- Quebec,
Zone "5"
|
