Would like to trade for the amsonia and tiger lily or aster or phlox. I have some artemesia "oriental limelight", mix color of spiderworts, obedient plant - purple, coreopsis, orlaya grandiflora, dwarf iris 'grapesicle', Mexican petunia - purple, NOID daylilies, fulva and kwanzo daylilies. Thanks Betsy

Hi! Jean, I am trying to get some information on Persicaria Virginia. I think Virginia is the one that is varigated and the leaves look lacy like and are white and green. I did not see your post as I have not been reading them lately because we have been too busy. Looking over your list I have all the plants that you listed. I have started to collect some Tiarellas, Heucherellas now. I do collect Heuchera but the winter here in Michigan are rather hard on them. They seem to heave over the winter. Do you have any, and if you do, do you have trouble with that? Would you be so kind and tell me what your Persicaria is like. Thanks. Betty

Hi Ferncreek, I have Lance Corporol and persicaria Red Dragon that I can divide. I also have another persicaria but I cannot think of its name right now. I also have corydalis lutea(which can be a problem sending through the mail) I do have some nice ones in pots that may not be as stressed as those from transplanting. DO you have any Lobelia siphilitica available? Lynne

Mindy - I'm afraid we're not a lot further ahead after visiting my neighbour's tree....! At this point, the color on hers is all from calyxes, although she says the berries, which are now green on hers, will darken in color to an intense purple. The calyxes on hers are smaller, much denser/many more of them than on mine and some of hers have berries under them. But the berries on mine are bigger and more plentiful. Her tree is in part shade and the Arnold Arboretum article did say the foliage color was best in part shade, so that might account for the difference in color of the calyxes between hers and mine. This is what the 'flower' cluster looks like on hers: I didn't take a picture of the overall tree because it is still quite small and she has limbed it up fairly high as a standard with a tall trunk, so there isn't a lot of top growth. Mine is also a standard but I allowed it to branch fairly low down because I wanted it to fill the space closer to the ground. Monique - if you're still reading this thread, can you please tell us whether all the color in the pictures you posted comes from the calyxes or is some of it from ripe fruit? Also, are those trees in full sun or do they get some shade? How sheltered is the location? When do your trees bloom? Mine doesn't start blooming until the last week of September, which doesn't allow a lot of time for fruit development/rippening before hard frosts. Also, have you had and seedlings from the fruit produced? If it produces a lot of ripe fruit, I hope it doesn't become a problem self-seeder. I will be watching my tree pretty closely to see what happens next - and I hope a hard freeze will come late this year! We've had light frost but nothing that has done much damage yet. It seems likely to me that performance varies by zone/length of growing season, sun/shade conditions, and probably by inherent differences in plants. I don't think there are named varieties in the trade yet but it appears that there may be a basis to select varieties based on the fall color of the calyxes and, perhaps, fruit production and speed of rippening.