Plants of the Week: August 26

x Gordlinia grandiflora – gordlinia 

Towards the steps of the Sproul Observatory you will find a small statured tree that one could easily mistake as a Franklinia alatamaha – and you wouldn’t be faulted for thinking that. The x Gordlinia grandiflora is a intergeneric hybrid between a female Franklinia alatamaha and a male Gordonia lasianthus. This fast growing hybrid takes the best traits from its parents to create an attractive small tree.

Its male parent, the Gordonia lasinathus, or loblolly-bay, is an evergreen tree native to the Southeastern United States that sports glossy dark green leaves, and fragrant, white, 2-3 inch wide flowers that remain open for a few days. The gordlinia takes the evergreen characteristics from its loblolly bay parent and stays semi-evergreen throughout the winter. From both parents, the gordlinia maximized their white, solo flowers, creating larger blooms with more of an open and outward facing flower orientation. 

While the Scott Arboretum no longer has any Gordonia lasinathus in its collection, one can still see and admire the Franklinia alatamaha and the x Gordlinia grandiflora. It is a joy to be able to observe both specimens, appreciate both their individual and entwined stories, and have the chance to make in-person comparisons and observations. Photo credit: M. Rossman

Euphorbia corollata – flowering spurge

Every season, I like to put together a list in my head of the plants that were particularly notable for me. Sometimes the plants on that list are new to me, like Verbena stricta (hoary vervain) or Bistorta officinalis ‘Superba’ (fleeceflower). Sometimes the plants are ones I am familiar with but had a particularly good year, such as Echinacea purpurea (coneflower). More surprisingly, are the plants on the list that I have walked by time and time again and have only just caught my attention (and obsession) this year. The latter is the case with the Euphorbia corollata that can be found in the Dean Bond Rose Garden. 

This U.S. native made it to the top of my summer list with its seemingly everlasting haze of white inflorescences. Deeply resembling baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata), this is a monoecious plant, meaning it has both male and female flowers on the same plants. However, the actual flower structures of the plant are so minute and what would be perceived to be white petals are actually five, white, rounded bracts. Like all members of the Euphorbiaceae family, it contains a white milky sap, which can cause skin irritation and a deep tap root can make it difficult to divide and propagate, making it best grown from seed.  This a plant that will grow in nearly any soil: loam, clay, sand, or rocky material.  It thrives where there isn’t competition. When this plant is an area that is drained well, disease is not a problem to worry about. Photo credit: M. Rossman

Hedychium ‘Daniel Weeks’ – ginger lily

In regards to the latin naming system for plants, there are different levels with the most commonly known levels being family, then genera, and then species. Each of these levels help organize plants and give them a specific and universal name. While only the genus and species are listed in the formal plant name, it can be helpful to understand the family of plants they reside in. Families of plants can be grouped due to similarities in flower or plant structure, genetic markers, seed production, and many other factors. For this particular Plant of the Week, I thought it would be fun to do a deep dive into the Zingiberaceae or ginger family of which the Hedychium ‘Daniel Weeks’ is a part.

Zingiberaceae is a family made up of about 50 genera with about 1600 known species distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Key markers of members of the family are the presence of tuberous rhizomes, which is a type of rootstock, and orchid-like flowers. Notable members of the family are Zingiber officinale (edible ginger), Curcuma longa (tumeric), and Elettaria cardamomum (cardamom). 

Our Plant of the Week is of the Hedychium genus, which is a group of plants native to the lightly wooded habitats in Asia. It is a designed hybrid between Hedychium flavescens (yellow ginger lily) and Hedychium gardnerianum (Kahili ginger) and the result is a stunning specimen, with 4 foot tall stalks topped with orange flowers. Hedychium ‘Daniel Weeks’ is one of the longest-flowering ginger lilies, starting in late July, early August and continuing through until frost. ‘Daniel Weeks’ prefers moist, well-drained soils in sun to part sun. This specimen can be found in the Theresa Lang Garden of Fragrance and is best visited in the early evening when it fills the courtyard with its honeysuckle-like fragrance. Photo credit: M. Rossman