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Picea morrisonicola

19 Feb

Picea morrisonicola (27/01/2012, Kew Gardens, London)

Picea morrisonicola (27/01/2012, Kew Gardens, London)

Position: Full sun to partial shade

Flowering period: Spring

Soil: Moist, well drained

Eventual Height: 50m

Eventual Spread: 15m

Hardiness: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Pinaceae

Picea morrisonicola is a large coniferous evergreen tree with a conical habit.. Its dark green leaves are needle like, up to 15mm long and 3mm broad. Its trunk may achieve a diameter of up to 1.5m. Its grey/ red/brown bark is irregular cracked and scaly. Its flowers are in the form of pollen cones. Its fruit are pendulous cones, initially purplish maturing to brown and up to 7cm long.

Picea morrisonicola, commonly known as the Taiwan Spruce or Mount Morrison Spruce, is native to Taiwan. In its native habitat it grows in mountain ravines and mountain slopes at an altitude of 2500m to 3000m. Picea morrisonicola is classified as Vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Picea morrisonicola Leaf (27/01/2012, Kew Gardens, London)

Picea morrisonicola Leaf (27/01/2012, Kew Gardens, London)

The etymological root of the binomial name Picea is derived from the Lain Pix meaning ‘pitch or tar’ in reference to the Spruce trees resin. Morrisonicola is named after Mount Morrison, the English name for Mount Yushan in Taiwan, the location where this tree is indigenous.

The landscape architect may find Picea morrisonicola useful as a large evergreen specimen tree.

Picea morrisonicola Bark (01/03/2014, Kew Gardens, London)

Picea morrisonicola Bark (01/03/2014, Kew Gardens, London)

Ecologically, Picea morrisonicola seeds are attractive to some birds.

Picea morrisonicola  prefers  moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.

Picea morrisonicola  requires little maintenance.

Rosa longicuspis

18 Feb

Rosa longicuspis (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Position: Full sun to light shade

Flowering period: Late spring

Soil: Moist, well drained

Eventual Height: 6m

Eventual Spread: 6m

Hardiness: 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Rosaceae

Rosa longicuspis Wall Trained (19/04/2014, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis Wall Trained (19/04/2014, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis is a vigorous  evergreen rambling Rose. Its glossy dark green leaves are compound pinnate with up to 7 leaflets. Its individual leaflets are narrowly ovate with serrulate margins, up to 10cm long an 4cm broad. Its stems are very thorny which enables this Rose to climb. Its white fragrant flowers are single, up to 5cm across and appear in panicles of up to 15. Its fruit is a shiny red/ orange  hip and up to 2cm long.

Rosa longicuspis Leaf (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis Leaf (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis, commonly known as the Wild Rose, is native to eastern Himalayas. In its native habit it grows in thickets.

The etymological root of the binomial name Rosa is from the ancient Latin term for the rose. Longicuspis is derived from the Latin longus meaning ‘long’ and cuspis meaning ‘point’.

Rosa longicuspis Flower (23/06/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis Flower (23/06/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

The landscape architect may find Rosa longicuspis useful as an informal barrier plant. It may also be grown up structures and can be used to screen unsightly objects.

Ecologically, Rosa longicuspis flowers are attractive to pollinating insects. The hips are attractive to birds and some mammals.

Rosa longicuspis Stem (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis Stem (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa longicuspis prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.

Rosa longicuspis requires little maintenance. Formative pruning should be carried out in late summer after the flowers have gone.

Rosa sempervirens

17 Feb

Rosa sempervirens (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa sempervirens (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Position: Full sun to light shade

Flowering period: Spring to early summer

Soil: Moist, well drained

Eventual Height: 4m

Eventual Spread: 2.5m

Hardiness: 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Rosaceae

Rosa sempervirens is a vigorous, evergreen Rose with a rambling habit . Its glossy dark green leaves are compound pinnate. Its individual leaflets are ovate with serrulate margins, up to 6cm long an 3cm broad. Its stems are slightly thorny which enables this Rose to climb. Its white fragrant flowers are single and up to 5cm across. Its fruit is a shiny red/ orange  hip and up to 1cm across.

Rosa sempervirens Leaf (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa sempervirens Leaf (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa sempervirens, commonly known as the Evergreen Rose, is native to Mediterranean Europe and north Africa. In its native habitat it grows in scrubby thickets.

The etymological root of the binomial name Rosa is from the ancient Latin for the Rose plant. Sempervirens is from the Latin semper meaning ‘always’ and virens  meaning ‘herbage’, in reference to this plant being evergreen.

Rosa sempervirens Hips (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa sempervirens Hips (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

The landscape architect may find Rosa sempervirens useful as an informal barrier plant. It may also be grown up structures and can be used to screen unsightly objects.

Ecologically, Rosa sempervirens flowers are attractive to pollinating insects. Its hips are attractive to some birds and mammals.

Rosa sempervirens Stem (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa sempervirens Stem (27/01/2013, Kew Gardens, London)

Rosa sempervirens prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.

Rosa sempervirens requires little maintenance. Formative pruning should be carried out in late summer after the flowers have gone.

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