This month we look at the plant that caused a stir at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show in 2009.
Often used by exhibitors at spring shows because it grows quickly once it has emerged, h. 'Sagae' creates a statement in any garden - this month we take a look at why we think it is becoming more popular.
H.
fluctuans 'Variegated' was the western name that was attributed to h. 'Sagae' because of its similarity to h. 'Fluctuans' but any link was not subsequently established. Therefore, the parentage was registered as unknown in 1985. H. 'Sagae' is the original and correct name and denotes the town where the cultivar was discovered in Northern Honshu, Japan. A recipient of the AHS Benedict Award, which
recognises cultivars that perform well in gardens across the USA,
h.
'Sagae'
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| Improvements
on h. 'Sagae' Our current favourite sports of h. 'Sagae' are h. 'Magic Fire' and h. 'Liberty': |
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A hit in Harrogate
Despite h.
'Sagae' being one of the oldest cultivars in our collection, it was
as if people were noticing it for the first time last spring at Harrogate.
We exhibited the plant in our Chinese themed display:
Why is it so popular?
We believe the early emergence of h.
'Sagae' in the spring, is an important factor in the increasing
popularity of the cultivar, and its sports.
Although it needs protecting from late frosts, the cultivar does have
excellent substance to the leaves. This characteristic has been continued
into the new generation of cultivars with the result that colouration
is held well throughout the season and the leaves are less prone to pest
damage.
We have highlighted our two favourite sports from h. 'Sagae', which both have more dramatic colouring that improves as the plants mature. Indeed, there are some images of h. 'Liberty' that show great texture and rugosity in the leaves of the mature plants.
New for 2010
We are planning to have a new, unregistered, sport of h.
'Sagae' available in 2010. H.
'Super Sagae' is supposed to be a bigger and better version of the
parent, so we await the promise of this over the next few years.
Plant Heritage at Hampton Court 2010
We are delighted to be one of the collections selected to feature in the
Plant Heritage Marquee at Hampton Court this year. We can tell you that
there are some ideas being proposed that will make the Plant Heritage
Marquee a 'must visit' element of the show.
We will also be exhibiting in A8, right outside the main entrance to the
Plant Heritage Marquee - so you cannot miss us!
The RHS has made a number of changes to the format of the show this year,
so why not make a date to visit it - more details can be found on the
RHS
website.
| Next month: | We highlight another early spring emerger, h. 'Montana'... |