Kirengeshoma palmata

Kirengeshoma palmata
Sometimes known as yellow waxbells, Kirengeshoma palmata is a late-flowering rhizomatous perennial up to 1.2m high with arching stems and is native to the woods and mountain lowlands of Korea and the Japanese islands of Shikoku and Kyushu.
The unusual name? No, it doesn't come from an obscure Danish botanist called Kirengeshom. It's really just a Latinised version of the original Japanese name. Palmata, a common specific epithet, means shaped like a hand and refers to the foliage.
Formerly classified in its own family, it is now a member of the hydrangea family, although its flowers, which are around 3cm long, are more reminiscent of those of a single-flowered Japanese anemone. The flowers of most of the plants seen in gardens are a fairly deep yellow, though the colour of wild specimens ranges from white to apricot. While beautiful and graceful, the fleshy-petalled flowers, which are borne in sprays on wiry stems that bend under their own weight, never really open fully. The buds start to burst in early autumn.
While the flowers can be something of a disappointment, it isn't too great a disadvantage that they don't open fully as this is a plant grown as much for its foliage as its flowers. The leaves are up to 20cm long and wide with pointed lobes that are deeper on the basal leaves and very shallow on the reduced leaves found on the flower stems.
The generally accepted opinion is that it the only species in its genus, but some botanists prefer to classify the Korean plants separately as Kirengeshoma koreana. As far as gardeners are concerned any differences between the plants are very minor, though there is some suggestion that the Korean plants may eventually be larger than their Japanese cousins and that their flowers open more fully.
As you would expect, considering its origins, Kirengeshoma palmata prefers a moist, leafy, humus-rich soil in partial shade. In other words, typical woodland conditions. In late autumn it dies back to its rootstock, which is extremely hardy and quite capable of withstanding -15°C. It is propagated either by division in winter or early spring, or by raising from seed. The seed prefers cool temperatures, around 12 to 15°C and the germination time is variable, anywhere from 30to 300 days. I've found that sowing fresh seed in the autumn and leaving the seed tray in a shady place for germination in the following spring satisfies any stratification requirements and gives good results.
Kirengeshoma palmata is an ideal companion for any Japanese or Chinese woodland plants and looks magnificent under maples, the leaf shape of which it complements perfectly. Because it needs ample summer moisture it thrives at the edges of a bog garden with candelabra primroses, Rodgersia and irises. Its late flowering habit is invaluable in providing interest at a time of year when other woodland plants may be becoming rather dull.
So why isn't it far more common? I have absolutely no idea.
I am a garden book author and horticultural photographer based in Christchurch, New Zealand. I run a stock photo library called Country, Farm and Garden (http://www.cfgphoto.com). This article may be re-published provided this information is published with it and is clearly visible.
________________________________________
MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
________________________________________
How to Choose the Right Bulbs for Your Spring Flower Garden
Choosing the right bulbs involves more than just selecting colors and cultivars. Timing, bulb size, and most importantly, bulb health are equally significant factors in designing your spring garden.
________________________________________
Store Your Outdoor Furnishings to Make Them Last
In many parts of North America, the end of "porch season" has arrived. Whether you're clearing out for some oncoming bad weather, closing up the cottage for the season, beating the vandals on devil's night, or just retreating to your nest for the winter, you'll want to store away all of your outdoor items with maximum care.
________________________________________
Natural Garden Pest Control
No dig gardens essentially strive to be their own ecosystem. This is the sign of the best sort of garden, one that is in tune with itself without the need for pest or disease control.
________________________________________
Easy Pond and Water Garden Construction
Today's successful water garden usually is designed as an ecosystem that uses a balance between fish, plants and bacteria keeping the water clear. The type of pond I'm talking about is self-contained (not fed by a spring or stream) and between 100-900 sq ft; a backyard water garden that is easy to maintain and adds value to your lifestyle and property.
________________________________________
Planting Roses In Your Garden
Roses are an old standby for any garden and one of the worlds favorite flowers. There are over 5,000 varieties of roses in the United States and they can be used to enhance your garden in many ways - as creepers, shrubs, vines, climbers, hedges or just as beds of pure colour.
________________________________________
Dill: Scandinavias Most Important Culinary Herb
The ancient herb, Anethum graveolens or Fernleaf dill as it is commonly known, was mentioned some 5,000 years ago in early Egyptian writings. It is the most important culinary herb in Scandinavia, as popular as parsley is in other parts of the world.
________________________________________
Laying Out Your New Landscape
When planning your new landscape, the first place to start is by driving around your neighborhood and seeing what other people have done with their landscapes. Bring a sketch pad or digital camera to record things you like.
________________________________________
Roses - Creating Beautiful Cut Roses
Many gardeners like to enjoy their roses twice - first in the garden, then indoors as cut flowers. By choosing the right roses, cutting them at the proper time of day, and conditioning them after cutting, you can enjoy your cut roses for the longest possible time - up to five days or more after cutting.
________________________________________
Themes of Shade
A Shade Garden can be created in any of several different types of shade. It can be in the mottled shade that comes from a broad leaf tree to the deep dark woods mentioned in Robert Frost's "Stopping by A Woods on A Snowy Evening".
________________________________________
Fall Pond Cleaning
Doing a full pond cleaning during the colder winter months can bevery stressful on your fish. However, if the pond is reallydirty and full of 'muck' - then you may want to consider itbecause all of the decaying organic matter in the pond can causeproblems if the pond ices over, and this begins to de-gas androt.
________________________________________
A Storage Bench Provides Much Needed Outdoor Space
If you are like most of us, there are two things that you cannot get enough of: storage and outdoor seating. What if I told you that I have the perfect solution to solve both of these problems and that it comes in a stylish, hard to resist package?The truth is that by using storage benches to provide comfortable outdoor seating you can solve your storage issues as well.
________________________________________
10 Tips to Care for Your Antique Ceramics
To care for your antique ceramics you need a gentle touch and they'll last you a long time. This month we'll give you some useful tips to help you care for them.
________________________________________
Gardening for Birds Part 2
We've had some well needed rain this past week, though it makes it a bit difficult to get chores done outside.We're past the last frost date for my area so now I can get some planting done.
________________________________________
Three Stumbling Blocks to Growing Grapes in the Backyard
Are you one of those home gardeners that don't know the threestumbling blocks to successfully growing grapes in your backyard?Don't worry, you're not alone.I have grown grapes successfully under the worst of conditionssince 1975 and I can tell you that most of the problems gardenersencounter are because they don't understand the nature of thebeast that they are growing.
________________________________________
Preparing The Garden For Winter
Are you like me? Sad to see the summer end but at the same time relieved that there is one less task to tend to. Weeding, watering, pruning, and more weeding is over for this year and with a few more chores the outdoor gardening year draws to a close.
________________________________________
Light Up Your Garden And Brighten Your Life
Extending Your Living SpaceThe garden is fast being considered to be an extension to your living space and homeowners are putting as much effort into creating a harmonious environment outside as they are inside. A beautiful garden is also considered to be one of the biggest selling features of a home and can certainly help to add value and appeal.
________________________________________
The Care of Cattleya Orchids
Cattleya Care: a bit more in-depth.This month we are going to go into some detail about the care of cattleya orchids.
________________________________________
7 Factors Needed for a Compost Pile
Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of organic matter.Learn how composting works.
________________________________________
Gardening During Hard Times or Emergencies - You Can Feed Yourself!
Do you ever worry about always having to rely on getting seeds and fertilizer from the store? What would you do in a survival situation, if you could not go to a store to purchase these things?Let's compare it to your food supply. What would you do about your store-purchased food? Many wise people buy more than they need of food items that store well, and create a "year's supply" of the essentials in their basement or other cool, dry place.
________________________________________
A Compost Primer
Most gardeners and landscapers will agree almost unanimously that the single best thing you can do for your lawn is to add compost. Good, organic compost can remedy almost any problem you have with your soil.
________________________________________