The Modern Farmer team has been hard at work this year, bringing you great stories about farming and food systems, and we’ve covered a lot of ground.
08.12.2023 - 18:23 / finegardening.com
While some may be familiar with Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica, Zones 6–10), Rohdea pachynema is an uncommon species that is indeed a Rohdea less traveled. Found only in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, it is an intriguing member of the Asparagaceae family that is slowly becoming more available to gardeners. It was formerly known as Campylandra sinensis or C. pachynema, but recent DNA work has moved it into the genus Rohdea, whose name commemorates German botanist Michael Rohde. We can find no documented common name for this species, so we have dubbed it “yellow thread rohdea” since pachynema means “thick thread” (referring to the colored central stripe on
the leaves).
We suspect that most if not all of the plants of yellow thread rohdea in cultivation are derived from the same population on the flanks of Sichuan’s Luoji Mountain. Bill McNamara of Quarryhill Botanical Garden (now Sonoma Botanical Garden) in California was likely the first to introduce this species to North America. During a visit to Quarryhill some years ago, we were instantly smitten upon seeing Bill’s collection of this beautiful and unfamiliar plant. Our shameless begging worked, and we were gifted a piece of this treasure.
Later, we avidly read Bill’s account of his botanical expedition to Luoji Mountain
and then made our own visit to that same 14,300-foot peak. It was like coming across an old friend along the trail when we saw yellow thread rohdea growing among culms of bamboo. Other collectors have been to the same mountain on the same trail and undoubtedly availed themselves of this impossible-to-miss colony.
Yellow thread rohdea has durable, darkly evergreen, narrow leaves reaching
18 inches long or more that gently arch and
The Modern Farmer team has been hard at work this year, bringing you great stories about farming and food systems, and we’ve covered a lot of ground.
How to Grow and Care for Queen’s Tears Bromeliads Billbergia nutans
This easy-to-care-for succulent holds a special place in both homes and hearts. People grow it to bring positive vibes to to the space but this cute little specimen is much more than that! Let’s have a look at Jade Plant Meaning and Symbolism.
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Applying the right amount of Japanese maple fertilizer at the right time is a lesson in attentiveness and restraint. Exercise both of these when offering your Japanese maples supplemental nutrition and you’ll be rewarded with consistent, healthy growth. This article discusses how and when to feed Japanese maple trees and what products are the best ones to use.
Scroll down to uncover Spider Lily Tattoo Meaning and Ideas! Ever wondered about a tattoo that tells a silent tale, speaks without words, and holds a mystery beneath its petals? The Spider Lily tattoo might just be that enigma you’ve been looking for.
Kathy Sandel sent in just a few more photos of hercurrent garden in Sacramento, California, and I couldn’t resist sharing them:
HO-HO-HO: It’s seed season, among other festive reasons to celebrate in December. Today I invited a similarly seed-obsessed friend, Jennifer Jewell, to help me curate some seed-catalog recommendations you might not otherwise browse, and to talk seeds in general.
Last week Kathy Sandel shared her former garden in Calabasas, California, and today we’re back visiting her current garden in Sacramento:
Collaborative post
Tips for Growing Strawberry Geraniums Outdoors
Sabrina Farber sent in today’s photos: