Sophora microphylla "Sun King" advice needed
Lauren
I am new here, so pls excuse if you have discussed sophoras before.
Bought one last fall and planted in here in Bristol in a raised railway
sleeper bed in a warm sheltered city garden. It was about 36" at purchase
and trained/tied to a bamboo cane which I have left as is. Good drainage,
refective light in winter. It's been very happy. Put on some growth in early
fall. Now just as I see some of the lovely yellow blooms coming, it's losing
its leaves...a lot. Just the leaves, not any branches. Before, it would lose
a small frond or some leaves as they dried out here and there, but new one
would sprout readily and I nipped it to keep the "tree specimen" shape which
looks good in it's location.
Is it the weather? It said hardy and evergreen on the tag. I thought it was
actually getting warmer now than it had been around Christmas, and more damp
(someone told me it prefers humidity?). So am puzzled as to the leaf
drop.Tried surfing for this on the net and no info on problems that I could
raise.
Origins of this particular one are the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens &
Arboretum in Hampshire, grown from Chilean seed. Should I contact them? The
garden centre where I purchased it did not have an answer for me.
Any help would be most appreciated. Oh, and I am rather new to gardening in
the UK and especially in this climate.
Thank you!
:)Lauren
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Tim Longville
to lose much of their foliage whenever there's a wind that's at all cold. It
seems to be a natural protective device - presumably to reduce the amount of
stress involved in trying to trying to transpire while in full leaf in
adverse conditions? It doesn't seem to cause any real damage - occasional
tips of growth are killed back but only an inch or two - and the plants leaf
up again come early Spring and flower at the same time or just after. (If we
get a *really* cold wind then the flower buds can also be blasted.) So
unless there's sign of damage beyond the mere losing of the leaves, I
wouldn't panic. Certainly the situation in which you have your plant seems
about right.
Good luck!
Tim
Lauren
I was hoping it would not be something fatal. I have a lovely Chilean new
daughter-in-law who will be back here soon with my husband's son from there.
We planted it for them when there got engaged last year. <smile>
You just brightened my day!
:)Lauren
Bristol UK
"Tim Longville" <tim.lo...@BTinternet.com> wrote in message
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Geoff Bryant
lesser extent the other large kowhai [S. tetraptera]) sheds some or all of
its foliage at flowering time. And I should know - it's a very common tree
in the wild and in cultivation around here. The national flower, in fact.
Geoff Bryant
Christchurch, NZ
"Lauren" <laur...@blueBERRYyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
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Tim Longville
Don't forget to encourage that Chilean daughter in law to tap her contacts
back home for lots of nice Chilean seed! There are many more plants from
there we could be growing here - some of which have been grown in the past
and then have been lost. The trouble is getting hold of plants or seeds with
which to try.
Tim
Lauren
My DIL is not a gardener, they lived in a flat for years and a bit at the
seaside in the northern (desert) part of Chile. I think her mother (who
gardens a bit) will now be retiring the family to the seaside place. If
there is a list of seeds that are not too difficult to obtain (not super
rare) I think MIL could manage that. But I need to wait til DIL arrives and
we write to her mother in Spanish after the move is over for them.
Good idea as a bit of gardening here would help get her settled!
:)Lauren
(for email remove caps pls)
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Lauren
Cheers,
:)Lauren
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