  |
|
|
|
A PERENNIAL AND A BIENNIAL
Stylophorum diphyllum The Celandine or Wood Poppy can be classed as a fairly rampant seeder. Given half a chance in part sun or shade, it will cover quite a bit of territory. Belonging to the Papaveraceae (Poppy) family and native to the woods of eastern North America, south of a line from western Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, Celandine Poppies are rated hardy to USDA zone 4. The plants generally range from 12inches to 18inches in height (30 - 45 cm), although I have heard of them reaching two feet (60 cm) or more. Spread is probably about half the height, although I will not swear to it because mine grow so thickly it is difficult to tell where one plant stops and another starts. Flowering starts in early spring, March in the south, and continues through May. If you remove the seedpods religiously, you can keep the plants flowering into June and beyond in cooler climates. White, furry looking, blimp shaped seedpods, up to two inches (5 cm) long form after the flowers fade. As they mature, the pods develop a pale yellow cast, eventually splitting at the bottom to drop hundreds of small, shiny, sticky, black seeds rimmed with white. Once they have opened, the pod segments curl back , revealing their deep yellow lining and, for a few days, they are almost as decorative as the flowers. I've been collecting seed this year for the first time and I notice that as the seeds dry, they shrivel somewhat and lose their luster. This makes me wonder whether they retain viability for very long. I really need to do some experimenting to find out. In addition to propagation by seed, Wyman says that you can divide the plants in early spring or take root cuttings in summer. I've never done either, so cannot speak from experience. They seed so prolifically that I've never found other propagation means to be necessary. Seedlings are very easy to remove if not wanted. In my USDA zone 7 garden, the older foliage begins to look a bit worn and tatty by mid July. Those that are near the front of my borders get a trim - sometimes a severe haircut. They will sprout new leaves that remain decent looking for the rest of the season. An interesting fact, at least to me, is that these plants have an orange, slightly caustic (if you get it in a cut) sap. When you cut a stem, the sap stains the rim of the cut dayglow orange.
The copyright of the article Even More Groundcovering Self-Seeders in Shade Gardening is owned by Marge Talt. Permission to republish Even More Groundcovering Self-Seeders in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
