Fatsia japonica flowering late 2013 ?

[Conifers]

Moseri just come fully into flower and buds all open, taken this morning

That's still in bud, not open yet - compare the pic above

[cordyman]

Moseri just come fully into flower and buds all open, taken this morning

That's still in bud, not open yet - compare the pic above

ah nice, so i'm really late then 1st time i've had a Fatsia flower

[call]

my larger spiders web has got a bud on it

[billdango]

My Japonica normally flowers in late November so at the moment is right on time.

billdango

[Dave in Warrington]

The Fatsia japonica here is flowering, but I hadn't noted any dates in previous years so don't know if early or late

With the frost last night, it may be short lived too

[Kristen]

Is it worth chopping the buds off to preserve energy? Mine are not very advanced at all, compared to photos here, so perhaps too late into the Autumn to come to anything anyway?

[Nathan]

Is it worth chopping the buds off to preserve energy? Mine are not very advanced at all, compared to photos here, so perhaps too late into the Autumn to come to anything anyway?

It's worth chopping them off to save a mess I always chop my flowers off before they turn into berries as they get squashed & trodden indoors & it's hard to get out, also I get so many self seeded Fatsia's popping up all around the garden & none of my family or friends want any more

My Fatsia is flowering now, so about right, but my Phoenix canariensis is just pushing out some spathes & not sure if it is early or late for that as it has never flowered before & I have not noticed when others locally have flowered...

[cordyman]

i'm keeping me flowers, a very nice sight in the garden when everything else is starting the slow decline to bombsite

[Dave Brown]

i'm keeping me flowers, a very nice sight in the garden when everything else is starting the slow decline to bombsite

Good nectar flowers as well

[GREVILLE]

There seems to a variation in expected flowering times that doesn't match the location, i.e. South earlier, North later. On the basis of flowering times posted here, my forty year old plus specimen would be considered early with it's usual mid to late October start.

I wouldn't put this down to being in a warm sunny spot. It's planted against the North West side of the house and doesn't receive sun until early afternoon. The base of the plant never gets any sun all year as the walled stairway into the garden permanently shades the roots. My lowest soil temperatures in the garden are right where the Fatsia grows. I would expect flowering to always be late.

Would the differing flowering times more likely be down to seed variation?

The only reason I can determine for a later than usual start was the bitterly cold Spring.