Hardy Tropicals UK

I get conflicting reports as to how hardy this plant is. I think Petefree said his were fine -has anyone else got any experience of overwintering this plant and/or how to take cuttings?

Hi Don, Mine came through last winter with a bark mulch just fine. You do have to watch out for slugs in the spring.
I find it quite difficult to propagate from cuttings and end up with just one or two plants from about a dozen cuttings using 3-4" side shoots. If anyone knows a better way please share it with us.

That's good news Andy. I think Petefree said his cuttings were easy--Pete how do you do it?

Ours has been planted out for a few years now with no problems Probably taken -6 here.

Never tried propagating it it, so can't help there

Melissa

An interesting plant. It was definitely considered half hardy when I was a boy, but then we had real winters!

If it has died back and is being grown as an herbaceous perennial rather than a shrub, basal cuttings taken about 6-8cm long, and cutting from the plant below soil level should root easily as it starts into growth in the spring, and grow into descent sized plants in their first year.

As Andy said, slugs can be real problem, grazing of both the plant and cuttings.

Seed is the traditional method, but I have never known it to set any!

Chad.

Hi Don,
I did it exactly the way Christopher Lloyd suggests in his Exotic Gardening book and had a good success rate. I got a smallish plant fairly late last summer which I kept potted and took semi-ripe cuttings in late October. Because it's quite a soft-leaved plant you do need to be quick about taking the cuttings and potting them up otherwise they wilt really quickly. As it was only a small plant I had last year, I only managed to take 3 cuttings from it, but 2 of them rooted within 4-6 weeks, kept in a propagator to keep the leaves turgid.
This year the plant I put out has got quite big (would probably be 6 feet tall if it hadn't flopped so much in all the wind and rain) and I hope to take more cuttings, again in late October when the stems are a bit riper.
Hope this helps.
Pete

I was about to mention Christopher Lloyd's book too, they had a detailed guide in taking Amicia cuttings.

On Will Giles' book it says it's fine down to -10C. Lovely plant, glad to have one

Thanks everyone for the info. It's a new plant to me this year and has such an open habit that I can use it just about anywhere in the borders. You will know about my success rate with cuttings, or lack of it, when you see next years swaps at the meetings

Chad wrote: Seed is the traditional method, but I have never known it to set any!

Chad.

Chad,
Has yours flowered? Mine haven't and I think Christopher Lloyd suggested they didn't normally get around to blooming outdoors at Dixter - but I guess in some milder parts of the UK they might?
Pete

I haven't grown it since I've been in Cornwall.

It flowered most years in Kent, if it was a reasonable summer.

Any update on the hardiness of this plant? I'm guessing about as hardy as Melianthus major?

Yorkshire Kris wrote:Any update on the hardiness of this plant? I'm guessing about as hardy as Melianthus major?

Yes I would agree with that, growing it here. Both get clobbered by frost but I trim them down to about 6" of stem and then stuff straw in around the base and a cover of fleece to hold it in place.

Had this one a couple of years now and it has flowered before.

Springy wrote:

Yorkshire Kris wrote:Any update on the hardiness of this plant? I'm guessing about as hardy as Melianthus major?

Yes I would agree with that, growing it here. Both get clobbered by frost but I trim them down to about 6" of stem and then stuff straw in around the base and a cover of fleece to hold it in place.

Had this one a couple of years now and it has flowered before.

Thanks Springy, yours looks great. Looks to have put on a lot of growth in one season?

Yorkshire Kris wrote:

Springy wrote:

Yorkshire Kris wrote:Any update on the hardiness of this plant? I'm guessing about as hardy as Melianthus major?

Yes I would agree with that, growing it here. Both get clobbered by frost but I trim them down to about 6" of stem and then stuff straw in around the base and a cover of fleece to hold it in place.

Had this one a couple of years now and it has flowered before.

Thanks Springy, yours looks great. Looks to have put on a lot of growth in one season?

Its grown more since the photo was taken. I've just been out and measured it and its 6ft tall and 5ft wide. All from ground level this year!

Hi Springy,
What a fabulous plant! Thats a new one on me, would love to try that. Will keep a look out for it.
Your garden is gorgeous, inspiration everywhere.