Sunshine Farm and Gardens
Rare and Exceptional Plants for the
Discriminating Gardener and Collector
Discriminating Gardener and Collector
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Sunshine Farm and Gardens
Rare and Exceptional Plants for the
Discriminating Gardener and Collector |
| ` | Veronicastrum sibiricum | |||||||||||||||||||||
Click to enlarge |
Now that the cold war has finally ended and relations are warming up between the US and the former Soviet Union, I think it’s a good time to start telling you about some of the fantastic plants native to that region of the world. Possibly, my very favorite could be Veronicastrum sibiricum. OK, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for any plant with the specific epithet sibiricum. Living on a frozen 3000 foot mountaintop in zone 5 you’re always on the lookout for plants from colder areas. So.... I've been growing the native counterpart Veronicastrum virginica http://www.sunfarm.com/images/med/veronicas trumvirginicumflr-m.jpg for years and love it dearly. Even when it’s not in flower with its pure white spikes of soft blooms, the foliage is magnificent, just check out: http://www.sunfarm.com/images/med/veronicas trumvirginicumfol-m.jpg . The way the olive green leaves whorl around the stems is incomparable. No insect chomps, fungal or any other problems for that matter, in fact the foliage is so perfect that you almost believe it to be fake silk. In any event, back to the Russian side of the family, the foliage is even more striking! Leaves are much bigger and coarser with deeper venations and the flowers, oh the flowers, with loveliest color of pinkish-lavenderish-lilacish that you've ever been unable to describe. And easy to propagate and share with your friends like you wouldn't believe. Sets copious amounts of tiny, but easy to germinate seeds and cuttings practically root in a glass of water, well maybe that’s a bit overstated. I use Wood's Liquid Rooting Hormone at the 10% rate, but have had equal success with Rootone powder. All in all, this is a great plant for the middle to the back of your perennial border. Height has been 36”-48” in my garden, and the several week long bloom period starts in early to mid Summer. Full sun to part shade is OK, and I am sure that the window of tolerance for light and soil conditions is extremely wide. The genus Veronicastrum was separated from the genus Veronica. You wanna get technical and understand why?? I put together this little chart to help you understand the workings of a Taxonomists mind.
The
technical terms can be
referenced in books like Hortus Third or online in one of
several glossaries of
Botanical Latin. There is a great dictionary of
specific epithets at: http://www.winternet.com/~chuckg/dictionary
.html This is a
searchable database put together as a labor of love by
Chuck Griffith. You
can spend hours there and really learn a lot about
Botanical Latin. You see, there are reasons for all of the seemingly insane plant name changes. If you have a huge monitor and want to see a larger picture of Veronicastrum sibiricum, go to: http://www.sunfarm.com/images/lg/veronicast rumsibiricum-l.jpg Just the facts M'am: Kingdom - Plantae Phylum - Anthophyta Class - Dicotyledonae Order - Scrophulariales Family - Scrophulariaceae Genus - Veronicastrum Species - sibiricum Synonyms - Veronica sibirica, Leptandra sibirica ?? Common name - "Siberian Culver's Root"??? Native of - Japan, Former Soviet Union Japanese name - Kugai-sou Height - 24"-36", up to 48" in flower Zone - at least 5, probably 4, possibly 3 Bloom time - Mid Summer Bloom color - A lavenderish lilac Foliage - grayish green, whorled around stem Spread - 18"-24" Uses - Middle to rear of the partly shaded to full sun perennial border. Medicinal uses - The roots of Veronicastrum virginicum were once used as a vomit inducer and as a cathartic, it is now primarily used for treating liver disorders and constipation. I'm not sure as to whether Veronicastrum sibiricum has the same medicinal properties. You can find out more about the medicinal uses of Veronicastrum and other plants and purchase the herbal parts of plants if you go to http://www.alternative-medicines.com/herbdesc1/1culvers.htm Hey, did I tell you about Ligularia sachalinensis??? Stay tuned! A complete set of back issues of "Glick Pick of the Week" is available for the asking. If you would like me to send them, or if you would like to first see the list, send me an email. Also, if you're getting more than one copy of this weekly mailing, or would like to subscribe a friend, or for some crazy reason, to unsubscribe, let me know. © 2000 Barry Glick and Sunshine Farm & Gardens |
Copyright © Barry Glick 1996-2024. All Rights Reserved.
Barry Glick, Sunshine Farm and Gardens
696 Glicks Rd, Renick, WV 24966, USA
Phone: (304) 497-2208
E-mail: barry@sunfarm.com
Last modified February 25, 2020
URL: https://www.sunfarm.com/picks/veronicastrumsibiricum-124619.phtml
