{"id":866,"date":"2022-07-24T23:40:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-24T23:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/?p=866"},"modified":"2022-07-24T23:40:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-24T23:40:34","slug":"july-is-roscoea-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/2022\/07\/24\/july-is-roscoea-month\/","title":{"rendered":"July is Roscoea month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

July is Roscoea <\/em>month. Despite our heat \u2013 and cold winters \u2013 we can grow some of these remarkable eastern Asian hardy gingers in southern Michigan, with some care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


First off, hardiness \u2013 many are just casually said to be \u201cZone 5\u201d in nurseries. Sounds good but, of course, a lot depends on planting depth, site, and snow cover. During our terrible \u201cpolar vortex\u201d some years back, I lost a number of plants, and started planting deeper \u2013 they don\u2019t seem to mind being at a depth of 8-10 inches or even more for larger species. They also seem to be heavy feeders, so I dig out the planting spot and put a rich mix at that depth. I suspect a cool root run helps, and so I also overplant with lower things that they can come through. You have to be careful as they are “late risers,” and it’s easy to forget they are there. But now I\u2019m waiting for the next \u201ctest winter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


I\u2019ve seen growing conditions for them described as \u201cwoodland \u2013 or even seen them described as shade plants\u201d and that\u2019s problematic. My suggestion for our area is light shade, with especially morning or later afternoon sun. This keeps them cooler, which they like. They won\u2019t bloom or grow well in too much shade, but definitely don\u2019t like blazing hot sun either, nor dry soils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what ones are best for us \u2013 I should say me, and not generalize? Well, starting with the hardies and easiest, Roscoea scillifolia. <\/em>This is small, not ugly, just, well, unassuming species, and seems very hardy, never winterkilling and even self-sowing gently. It is a bit floppy, and has small, flesh-pink flowers. There is a very cute purple-black flowered form, that has to be planted where you can admire it close-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roscoea scillifolia<\/em> forma atropurpurea<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Roscoea scillifolia<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also quite hardy, and probably the best species for our area is the hybrid Roscoea<\/em> \u00d7beesiana<\/em>. There are a range of color forms of this hybrid between the yellow (usually) Roscoea cautleoides<\/em> and the purple Roscoea auriculata<\/em>. This seems to tolerate a tad more heat and sun, and blooms well. Some forms are a lovely pale yellow, others are yellow, but with purple streaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Roscoea<\/em> \u00d7beesiana<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roscoea<\/em> \u00d7beesiana<\/em> with purple streaking<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Roscoea<\/em> \u00d7beesiana<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both the parents of Roscoea<\/em> \u00d7beesiana<\/em> are also relatively hardy species for us. Roscoea cautleoides<\/em> is a lovely Chinese species, medium sized, usually yellow flowered, growing at higher elevations (to 3500 m) in Sichuan and Yunnan, and also performing well in southern Michigan. Roscoea auriculata<\/em> is also higher elevation, but from the Himalayas, and was also a species where some plants made it through the \u201cpolar vortex\u201d It\u2019s a bigger species with purple flowers. both are worth planting deep and trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roscoea cautleoides<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Roscoea auriculata<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My favorite, and a true alpine, is Roscoea tibetica<\/em>. This is a small plant, rather orchid like in appearance, and flowering at only a few cm tall, with broad leaves close to the ground, and (in my favorite form) delicate white flowers. It grows at high elevations, extending from open forests and shrub lands to alpine meadows up to 3800 m. This also does not seem (so far) to need deep planting, and also self-sows a bit. You can see self-sown seedling in the photo to the right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Roscoea tibetica <\/em>forma alba<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A couple other, bigger species I\u2019m still experimenting with still. One is Roscoea humeana<\/em>. I\u2019ve gotten this before, but so far as I can tell, not correctly named. But it should be hardy, and I\u2019ll find out now that I have the real thing (in a couple genotypes). Also, Himalayan and apparently not as hardy, but a nice big plant is Roscoea purpurea<\/em>. This species has a striking red form called ‘Red Gurkha\u2019 that is positively amazing. It is the only Roscoea<\/em> with this color, and a stunning summer bloomer. Hopefully, deep planting allows it to overwinter! — Tony Reznicek<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roscoea purpurea<\/em> ‘Red Gurkha\u2019 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July is Roscoea month. Despite our heat \u2013 and cold winters \u2013 we can grow some of these remarkable eastern Asian hardy gingers in southern Michigan, with some care. First off, hardiness \u2013 many are just casually said to be … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":882,"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866\/revisions\/882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glcnargs.org\/glcgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}