BIG, BOLD & BEAUTIFUL. PODOPHYLLUM'S.

BIG, BOLD & BEAUTIFUL.

I have added all of my Podophyllum,s to the woodland area's that I am making, they are shade loving plants with the most outrageous new leaves. Don't worry about the flowers they are mainly hidden under the biggest statement in the garden. There seems to be some renaming of the Podophyllum genus some will be placed under Sino podophyllum and other Asiatic species would take on the genus name Dysosma. I have used the names that I know and grow them under I apologise if they are incorrect.

Reference books are The Explorer's Garden by Daniel Hinkley. The Genus Epimedium including the genus Podophyllum by William T Stearn. Also Gardens Illustrated volume 111 by Carol Klein.

Propagation is by division, seed or root cuttings about 5cm long laid on their side on top of course Perlite and lightly covered by more Perlite and kept moist in a shady position.

Podophyllum  plants come up for sale from time to time in different Nurseries you just need to buy them when you see them, or put in an order and wait until the Nureries have them ready for you.

                              

Podophyllum difforme Chinese species with oddly shaped leaves that are barely lobed (Below). There are better form's of this one oversea's with red leaves and another with light green marking's in the centre of the leaf.

 Podophyllum difforme flowers apparently they need flies to pollinate them just try taking them for a display bench to one of our meeting's in the car with the heater on and you will know what they smell like (below).

Podophyllum delavayi 'Veitchii' not easy to find out much about this specie other than it comes from China and is slowly increasing two leaves after 5-6 years I would say thats slow, absolutely stunning as it comes through the ground leaves are all kinds of red through to orange, no flowers as yet.

Podophyllum delavayi 'Veitchii' a week later.

Podophyllum plicantha? D09 import from China, I can't find any reference to this name at all. I thought it may be P. delavayi but it seem's to be different to Lynn Mc Gough's Podophyllum delavayi.

 Flowers of Podophyllum plicantha which look similar but not exactly the same to P.delavayi but I'm not a botanist so I will leave it with the name P. plicantha until I know better (below). Leaves of P. plicantha open a couple of weeks later.

Podophyllum plicantha

Podophyllum plicantha D09 China above.

Podophyllum pleianthum (Below)large bold plain green glossy leaves, it has sent up new leaves about a meter from the parent plant and the maroon flowers are similar to P. difforme under the leaves.

Lynn Mc Gough's Podophyllum delavayi flower's (below), an import from China. 

 Lynn's plants of Podophyllum delavayi.

Podohyllum delavayi more flowers.

 Podophyllum  'Spotty Dotty' (Below) a vigorous hybrid making hugh clumps in just a few years, imported by 'Antique Perennial Nursery' into Australia. The flowers are a garnet red.

Podophyllum hexandrum syn. Podophyllum emodi my plant has pink flowers, but it may have white or pale pink flowers followed by red glossy oval seed pods, and variable amounts of purple-black mottling on leaves. From Asia minor through the Himalayas and China it has been placed on the protection list as it has been over collected for the pharmaceutical industry.

Podophyllum hexandrum flowers photo taken on a very dark day.

Podophyllum peltatum known as the 'May Apple' white flowers with light mottling on the leaves and bright red fruits, from North America it runs around making a clump quickly, I've found planting it near tree roots restricts its spreading growth.