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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Roscoea purpurea
Anyone tried this one outside I am going to bulk it up before having a go its a Roscoea purpurea just labelled as red seedling
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:32 pm |
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Martinnicklin
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:06 pm Posts: 2675 Location: Telford UK
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Re: Roscoea Purpurea
Is R. purpurea more tender than other species? I have several which have happily lived outside and unprotected for many years. I would not think that they would do well in pots outdoors though. That red colour is lovely. I do think they are a plant which deserves to be more widely grown with their vibrant orchid-like fowers.
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 8:24 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Roscoea Purpurea
I love this ginger Martin I too have the purple and yellow forms growing in my fernery they seem to like humusy wet growing conditions but this red form I am quite fond of and did not want to lose it. I have other friends who have planted it out and in their words it just dissappeared......go on someone test it for me pls this was a present from my sistera few years ago.
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:10 pm |
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John Jearrard
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm Posts: 487 Location: Cornwall, UK
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Re: Roscoea Purpurea
It should be fine outside, don't let it get overgrown by anything or keep it too moist, they will all tolerate drought quite well. Worth checking for seed as the stems die down in autumn - it forms about an inch or so down in the pseudostem - feel for the swelling. Keep seed dry overwinter, it germinates very easily in spring. Most species are self fertile, though the red forms, R. purpurea f. rubra don't seem to set a lot. Mine has been outside for the last 4 or 5 years, just came in again this summer because it is time to go through the collection again and sort out the sheep from the goats. Some amazing new seedlings being raised by Harvington Hellebores and also Keith Wiley - look for a deluge of new names in the next year or two. Your plant looks like one of the original clones introduced under the name 'Red Gurkha' - unfortunately the name covers three distinct clones so the name has become almost meaningless except to denote the original plants. As I recall, two of them have red pseudostems, the third is green.
The picture shows a range of Keith Wiley's seedlings - these are the rejects!
_________________ John.
www.johnjearrard.co.uk
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:04 pm |
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John Jearrard
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm Posts: 487 Location: Cornwall, UK
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
Sorry to go on - can't resist showing a couple of the rejects that came home with me!
_________________ John.
www.johnjearrard.co.uk
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:11 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
Cheers for the info John, much appreciated, crowding out may be the problem that people are experiencing then I must admit my Roscoea cautleyoides does not seem as rampant as in other years. I see there is a white form being touted about I think I need that one too. Hard man to please, rejects indeed, love the leaves on that first shot does Keith do online?
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:16 pm |
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johnw
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:37 pm Posts: 240 Location: Halifax, NS
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
John - How were the prices of Keith's Roscoea "rejects"? The red ones such as 'Red Ghurka' are impossible to find over here so these are particularly tempting. And Kev's red is sensational!
(I read on your site you had the same experiece as I have with Rhodophiala from seed, someone donated species under with a cw BJ? code and every single one is Habranthus tubispathus. Got fooled twice. Can send you seed of R. monatana as it's been in flower here about 6 weeks and still the shoots are coming and some pods are nearly ripe. Sorry for the topic change. Last pic shows pods 29 July 16.)
john
Last edited by johnw on Wed Aug 03, 2016 1:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:51 pm |
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John Jearrard
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm Posts: 487 Location: Cornwall, UK
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
Hi Kev the "white" R. cautleyoides is lovely, pale, ghostly, wonderful and pale yellow. (Thanks for the offer John, love to have another go at R. montana.) The rejects weren't cheap, he doesn't like parting with them - £6.50 each. I have been pollinating away like a bee on a mission. The first generation from 'Red Gurkha' seemed reluctant to set much seed. Perhaps the original introductions were all too closely related (all from a single site) but any supposed barrier has now been overcome - expect to see seed in the exchanges before long - and the new names are going to come along faster than new Epimedium !
_________________ John.
www.johnjearrard.co.uk
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 11:19 pm |
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johnw
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:37 pm Posts: 240 Location: Halifax, NS
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
Good grief £6.50! We pay the equivalent of £11.50 for a 5L Roscoea 'Spice Island', R. 'Cinnamon Sticks' or R. cauteleyoides. I should head over straight away!
john
Last edited by johnw on Wed Aug 03, 2016 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tue Aug 02, 2016 11:45 pm |
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Steven
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:02 pm Posts: 2486
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
Kev, I'm growing the type not the 'Red Gurkha' in the pic. Never had any problems with these!
Plant them deep in humusy semi shade, deep enough (20cm) to let them escape the harshest ground frosts.
My recommendation would be R. auriculata, as it blooms for what seems ages! I've shown pics of both sp. almost every year here.
John, does there exist an Alba form of R. auriculata ?
That would probably the most gardenworthy forms of all!!
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Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:57 am |
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AlexW
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:39 pm Posts: 95 Location: Reading UK
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
I've had Roscoea purpurea f. rubra - labelled "Gurkha Redstem", from Crûg, planted out for a while and it does well enough though not especially fast to bulk up. Thanks for the tip on finding seed John - I'll give that a go.
Mine is in a rather sunny spot and as a result curls up on hot days, no matter how well watered, and the flowers come out rather washed-out. Dappled shade would be better I'm sure, and I plan to move mine in Autumn if I remember. I've read that immediately after flowering is a good time to split as well so we'll see how that goes.
R. auriculata is a great plant - mine are a bit late this year having only just started but are usually the first to flower and continue almost until the frosts. A rich purple that looks fab in the undergrowth - they are quite lanky though and tend to sprawl rather so best grown through other plants rather than as a stand-alone clump.
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Wed Aug 03, 2016 11:33 am |
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johnw
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:37 pm Posts: 240 Location: Halifax, NS
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
John - Your red Roscoea purpurea seed came up in abundance over the past few days. Pleased as punch.
Thanks again.
john
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Wed Jun 14, 2017 6:17 pm |
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davidmdzn7
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:01 pm Posts: 412 Location: Maryland, USA
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
"The rejects weren't cheap, he doesn't like parting with them - £6.50 each. I have been pollinating away like a bee on a mission."
In my opinion, 6.50 UKP for the first one (deep red with purple foliage) is an absolute steal! I'd pay $40 for that if I was sure it would grow around here. Which I wouldn't be - over two decades ago I had success establishing one Roscoea. I feel like that came from an east coast nursery - maybe Seneca Hill. It was in my first garden, i.e., my parents. Couldn't move it when they sold the house. Since then 2 or 3 bought from quality PNW suppliers just proved to be too fussy and weak growing in our steambath summer climate.
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Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:45 pm |
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John Jearrard
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm Posts: 487 Location: Cornwall, UK
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
While I agree £6.50 isn't a lot of money by itself, Keith had 200 of them, all slightly different - where do you stop? It certainly felt like an expensive day. On the plus side - the seedlings are coming up now. Good to hear yours are coming up as well John, have you got some foliage colour variation?
_________________ John.
www.johnjearrard.co.uk
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Fri Jun 16, 2017 8:44 pm |
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John Jearrard
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm Posts: 487 Location: Cornwall, UK
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Re: Roscoea purpurea
Just some pictures today of the red Roscoea purpurea forms that are appearing. It started with 'Red Gurkha', an introduction from the wild. That was an enormous success, only held back by the time it took to produce divisions. For several years divisions were available from a couple of collected clones but it didn't seem to set seed in cultivation so I was expecting it to be micropropagated. This year for the first time it is appearing on the market. A friend said he saw a greenhouse with "thousands" of tiny plants growing on the benches. It's going to be everywhere before long.
In the meantime growers tried crossing it with other colours of R. purpurea. The first one I saw was this, which was not named. Crossed with a purple leaved plant with purple flowers, this is a first generation seedling. The flower opens pinkish and then slowly ages to purple. Interesting to see that the red colour appeared in the first generation.
by , on Flickr
Since then a couple of breeders have been raising seedlings. Most of mine have come from Keith Wiley at Wildside Garden. His 'Wildside Hybrids' all have green leaves. This is fairly typical, with rich red flowers.
by , on Flickr
I also like this darker form, the centre of the labellum shades to purple.
by , on Flickr
At present one of my favourites is this pure pink. Most of the "pink" Roscoea are actually pale lilac, the pink form of R. scillifolia is a good colour but the flowers are tiny, so this is quite special.
by , on Flickr
A group of hybrids have purple/red leaves instead. They have been called the 'Imperial Hybrids' and this is the best one I have - I would like a broader labellum but I am sure it is on the way!
by , on Flickr
Just the thing for a rainy day in July!
_________________ John.
www.johnjearrard.co.uk
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Fri Jul 28, 2017 9:24 pm |
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