Tiny Umbrellas for Foliage Follow-Up March 2016

Several years ago, I fell in love with Podophyllum, the whole family.  Now only the native American Mayapple  is considered a podophyllum while the Podophyllum delavayi,  also formerly known as Podophyllum veitchii, is now known as Dysosma delavayi or Dysosma veitchii.  Chinese Mayapple, it's common name has remained constant. Anyway, they look really cool when emerging from the soil in the spring.  I've been dividing one of my plants every other year for several years now and this spring, one of the larger ones surprised me by coming apart in several layers of plants when I was lifting it.  If these are as successful as they were in the past, I may start planting more of them in the ground or simply become one of those crazy propagating people with pots all over the place.  Still fairly expensive in the trade, I feel fortunate to have had success with the divisions and now need to go chop up a bunch more plants while there's still time.

Don't they look like unfurling umbrellas?  

Slugs really enjoy them as well!

I'm thrilled to see the plants stuck in the open garden last summer have decided to live!

Podophyllum pleianthum  (Now known as Dysosma pleiantha) often suffers an early dormancy in the dry position where a mean gardener has placed it

P. 'Spotty Dotty' also trusted to the open garden last summer is returning!

This poor P. 'Spotty Dotty' has been in a huge pot for years and would probably enjoy being divided.We'll see how much time I can devote to ripping it apart in the next few days.  I've come down with the crud that's been going around and going outside in wet and cold conditions isn't as appealing right now as it usually is.

A mystery that came up a couple of years ago in a random pot of soil.  Perhaps this year it'll put on some size.

A cool and new to me podophyllum similar to 'Red Panda' which I can't find, came home with me last summer from Windcliff.  the leaves of all of these will get much larger but it's exciting to see them returning this spring!

This crazy specimen of P. delavayi adds a nice punctuation to the camellia petal rug.

This syneilesis hybrid, looking like miniature palm trees has been growing on in a pot for a couple of years now.  It's now large enough to set free in the open garden .  So many spring tasks!

Foliage Follow-Up is hosted by Pam at Digging on the day after bloom day each month to remind us of the important role that foliage plays in our gardens.   Click here to see her foliage offering and links to those of  other participating garden bloggers.