Phygelius

[no ideas man]

Hi
   are there any members growing or have grown the above plant if so can you help me, I have quite a number of them which I bought as established plants and they have flowered all this summer and now with the recent frost they are looking quite sorry for themselves should they be cut down to ground level or just left alone should the plants be protected over winter  Any help would really be appreciated

no ideas man

[ideasguy]

I have two varieties Harry, a yellow and an Orange/red.
I'm very fond of those plants, and would certainly recommend them to others.

The yellow is probably P. aequalis 'Yellow trumpets'

P. capensis is described as rust red to scarlet. Fits my red.

I planted them in my herbacious border.
I was a bit worried about losing them as they are half hardy in the UK.
So, I planted the yellow as normal, and the red in a large pot, semi buried.
Both have survived many years now.

Mine are about 3 ft tall, and I have never pruned them. They are a bit leggy looking, but I've just done an inspection and see some new shoots coming up from the base of some semi prostrate tems.

My old "Readers Digest Encyclopedia of PLants and Flowers" says:
Phygelius is a genus of 2 half hardy evergreen shrubs, treated as herbacious perennials.
(Mine look more like semi evergreen)
Also says:
Flowers July to October (a good flowering period!)
Plant in April in a sunny sheltered position
In April, trim back herbacious plants to ground level; remove dead growth from shrubs and cut back to shape.
Propagation: Divide and replant the roots during March & April.
From seed: Sow in cold frame in April

Heres a photo of my yellow in full splendour. You can see the red in the background.

[no ideas man]

Hi george
               Looking at the photo you posted I have the same or very similar plants but I am almost certain mine are named when I get the time i will check and send you there names thanks for the information. Ijust wish I could send you some cutting but i don't know if they would travel
by the way cuttings are quite easy try some if you would like to try my method just let me know it also works well with Penstemons

Happy Gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

If they were wrapped in a piece of damp kitchen roll and then put in a plastic bag I think the cuttings would travel OK, Harry.
Ive brought a few cuttings home from my travels like that before and they survived (one was a Penstemon as I recall)

It would be interesting to give them a go, so please go ahead. Let me know when you get their names, and I'd be very interested to read your method.

Heres a good article:
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floriculture/Crops/Phygelius%20production%2004%20GPN.pdf

From that doocument we read that these plants are know as Cape Fuchsia in the US.

[no ideas man]

Hi George
               Thanks for the info it is to late to take cuttings now but I will remember and send them on when the time is right, what about Penstemom cutings are you interested.

Happy Gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

I'd like to try some Penstemon cuttings Harry.
I havent had much luck with Penstemons until this year. I moved them to a sunny, open position, and they have given me a better display. The one which did best was P. 'King George V'
I bought on plant in a large pot when I visited "Mount Stewart", a famous garden here in N Ireland.
Its still flowering, and doesnt look too much bothered by the frost we have had. One stem now lies on the ground so looks like it would need staked.

It looks like it has a stronger stem than my other varieties (one of which is Apple Blossom)

Do you stake yours?

Do you have P. King George V? If not I could send you some cuttings in exchange for some of yours.

What varieties do you have?

[no ideas man]

hi
   with regard to penstemons I find they do not have a long life span 2/3yeares in my garden so if you have a particular favourite the way to go is to take cuttings they are easy to do and it does mean you will have new plants ready to replace any that are past it personally I take the cuttings august/september.

happy gardening

harry

[ideasguy]

I havent cut my Penstemon King George V back, and it has long stems of pretty good looking material for cuttings yet, Harry.
It has much stronger stems than my other varieties.
I could send you a few cuttings. I'm sure if I wrapped them in wet tissue inside a polythene bag they would survive one night in a 1st class post to arrive with you next day.

Have you cut yours back?  Whats your methods for caring for them?

[no ideas man]

Hi george
               Thanks a lot for the offer of the cuttings I dont think they would take at this time of year as the parent plant will be shutting down any time soon if it as not already done so. We can do a plant swap when the time is right if you want to send me the cuttings I will pot them up and post results after all to me that is what gardening is all about if you don't try different things you never move on it's ok to use established methods but it's nice to say I did it my way (nothing to do with the song) and it worked I like to try other ways and see what happens. Cuttings form Phygelius are also easy to do in the same way as Penstemons.  You and I between us will keep the forum going.

Happy gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

The cavalry of members will be here soon, Harry!

I visited Farplants today (on the internet!) and found a nice new Phygelius New Sensation, and a few more beauties:
http://www.farplants.com/ourplants/newandexclusive/

[The Gardener]

I grow Phygelius.  I've got several different ones, including Devil's Tears (orange), Sunshine (yellow with yellow foliage) and Sensation (deep pink).  In my garden, they seem to be hardy, and very tough.  The frost knocks them about over the winter (except Sensation which is in a pot on the south-facing patio, which is well protected, so it stays evergreen), but I just hack them back to the ground in spring and they sprout up again, no problem.  In fact, Devil's Tears is a complete thug!  It runs underground and comes up in silly places like the middle of another plant!  I often dig up stems which have rooted, and pot them up for sale at my Flower Club plant stall.

[no ideas man]

hi there
              Iam getting together quite a collection of Phy mainly from my local G-c the trouble is the plant label denotes the colour rather than the mame of the plant ie  Phy Orange when the time is right to take cuttings would you like some I have phy in yellow cream red white and pink any other members interested send a post

happy gardening

harry

[The Gardener]

I've decided not to grow any more Phygelius because they are such a pest!  It's impossible to dig one up because if you miss a bit, up it comes again  I think they are lovely plants - in someone else's garden   Has anyone else had any problems with them?

[ideasguy]

I'm really surprised you find them a pest Chrissie. I really like them, and they are absolutey no problem in my garden..
Ive a Yellow and an orange/red

I'm really pleased to read that you can hack them back. I havent dared do that before, but, the loppers are coming out to do that to some leggy stems.

They remind me of Fuchsias, even more so now, as I need to do the same thing with them each year.

[The Gardener]

It's mostly Devil's Tears (orangy/red with a yellow throat) which is the worst culprit.  The others aren't too bad, but can still be a nuisance.  As I said before, I really like them as plants, but I'm not planting any more in my garden 

[ideasguy]

I must inspect my variety against your description!

I'll make sure I dont buy Devils tears. Enough to frighten any God fearing person off!

[Pixydish]

I have two different Phygelius: 'Yellow Trumpet' and Phygelius x rectus 'Pink Elf', my favorite! I absolutely love these plants. Perhaps they don't grow quite as well for me as they do for Chrissie, as I've never considered them a pest at all. Or maybe I just haven't had them long enough! I have to have them in full sun in order to get good blooms from them. Here is a photo, I hope, of the 'pink elf' variety.

[ideasguy]

RE: Pink Elf
That is a gorgeous plant! How tall does it grow in your garden?

[Pixydish]

This one grows between 2 1/2 and 3 feet. I absolutlely love the color!