“Go For It”

Who can forget the famous catchphrase “Go for it” muttered throughout the Rocky films? I believe it was the mobster Gazzo in Rocky 2 that first yelled it as Rocky was about to beat Apollo Creed. Clearly though it was Clubber Lang’s (Mr. T) comment, “I’m gonna bust you up,” that sparked the retort, “Go for it,” from Rocky that everyone remembers. So what does this piece of film trivia have to do with horticulture? There seems to be a popular misconception that spring is the best time of year to plant and that fall/autumn is simply left for mums, pumpkins and any plant material left over that didn’t sell. Nothing could be further from the truth!

There is an old adage, you can transplant safely within any month that has an “R” in the word. This negates May, June, July and August! There are two key points here. The first is the word transplant! That is the act of pulling something out of the ground and planting it somewhere else, which in fact is different than planting. Planting is simply installing something that has been container grown or reinstalling something that was dug while it was dormant. Which brings me to my second point. The other months not mentioned above are associated with cooler climate. A time of year when plant materials have shut down or are shutting down making their move to a new location more conducive to planting. There is less stress, slower growth and cooler temperatures this time of year, thus increasing the odds of survivability.

There are ways to ensure that a plant succeeds at its new home. Simply being enamored with a plant, purchasing it and planting it doesn’t guarantee a plant’s life. Soil content, moisture levels and sunlight all contribute to a plant’s outcome. Remember, there is no one plant or one answer for one area. People always ask me what plant I recommend for one area or another. There can and will be several answers! Recently I gave a talk and was asked what low growing, evergreen plant I recommend in partial shade, slightly moist with a deer problem. Cephalotaxus (Japanese Plum Yew) was my first response, however Microbiota decussata (Russian Cypress) or Sarcococca hookeriana (Himalayan Sweetbox) are also fine solutions. The point being, while there is no formal homework required to purchase plants, there is a responsibility for you to ask questions and be thoughtful about your purchases. We are, after all, talking about life.

So, we have established that there are several factors to consider ensuring a plants health. You have asked questions, purchased an appropriate plant, given the location, and are willing to accept the burden of understanding the water requirements and lighting conditions of this plant. By the way, when you read a tag that says, “likes sun/part shade” that doesn’t mean there is a magical formula that requires that plant to have 4.6 hours a day of sunlight. It means, ask more questions and consider gardening trial by error. Again, we are talking about life and adaptability. Some plants like more sun and some like more shade. You are now ready to plant!

Aside from the obvious, digging an appropriate sized hole, substituting some existing soil content with some new content and finding the root flare of the tree or shrub, there is one mechanic that I wish more people would embrace. That is the addition of Mycorrhizae in their backfill. The Latin origin of the word, Myco means fungus and rrhizae means roots refers to several species of fungi which parasitize the root systems of plants. This symbiotic relationship improves a plants ability to receive nutrients and water uptake, aids in root growth, plant growth and yield while reducing both transplant shock and drought stress. And while this naturally occurs in undisturbed areas like forest floors, acting as an important part of its ecosystem, there needs to be an amendment of this to our natural soils as tillage, fertilization, removal of top soil, erosion and home construction all lead to the removal of what was once there.

Independent garden centers do a great job of providing plant materials with current seasonal interest. Inventories are strong and plentiful this time of year. Long term health for your plants is dependant on proper siting, the basic mechanics of proper installation and long term care with food and water. The basics are set in motion for you. So go forth and plant. Take Rocky’s shibboleth expression to heart and “Go for it!”

Yew Can Stop the Deer

Before deer became such a big problem in New Jersey there was a staple plant used in almost every landscape in the garden state. Taxus (Yew)! Unfortunately this seems to be a delicacy for our four-legged friends. Interesting since Yews are among the most toxic of plant materials. Taxus has proved to be a versatile plant lending itself to most soil types, lighting conditions, topiary work and overall durability. In particular, though is lighting conditions. While there are other genera that tolerate the shade, Sciadopitys (Umbrella Pine), Chamaecyparis (Falsecypress), and Tsuga (Hemlock), few embrace it offering both an academic and practical solution as Taxus has. However, there is another genus that has long been overlooked that can not only mimic the texture of Taxus, but afford itself in many of the same applications as the aforementioned genus.
Cephalotaxus (Plum Yew) is a genus comprising eleven species. Native to Japan, fossil evidence has sited it further to the Northern Hemisphere. Plum Yews were introduced into this country in 1848, but we have Phillip Franz von Siebold to thank who first sent specimens to Europe from Japan in 1829 (Tripp 1995). Recent popularity has grown, I suspect, because of the adaptability of the genus. Tolerant to alkaline, clay, sand, acidic and loamy soils, Cephalotaxus also performs admirably in sun or shade. However, the plants recent notoriety is attributed to the fact that it’s a coniferous evergreen that handles the shade quite well and is deer resistant. Plum Yews do not have an aggressive root structure, are known for their drought tolerance once established and are not affected by many pest problems. Cephalotaxus have a softness about them, having flat needlelike leaves that are blunt at the tips. More heat tolerant than true yews and most juniper, Plum Yews can also take heavy pruning. Although heavy pruning should be unnecessary, as Cephalotaxus is not known for its rapid growth. The common name Plum Yew is termed for the plum-like fruit, actually a naked seed, which is fleshy and is olive to reddish brown. These olive-like fruits are a popular food in Japan.
Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Japanese Plum Yew, Cow’s Tail Pine) are the more “commonly” found of the eleven species. Named for the Earl of Harrington, one of the species’ first European fanciers (Tripp 1995) harringtonia offers several notable cultivars. ‘Prostrata’ is among my favorites for no other reason than it closely resembles that of Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’ (spreading English Yew). An impressive dark green carpet that the deer simply won’t let us plant. ’Prostrata’ is a low mounding evergreen with arching pendulous branches. It too has dark green leaves and can be used effectively as a deer resistant ground cover. Stunning as a monosweep around a deciduous tree, ‘Prostrata’ has a nostalgic feel for the spreading English Yews of years past. The new growth is a pale lime green that hardens to a glossy dark green. Comfortably this cultivar sits two to four feet tall and wide. Slightly larger in appearance is another great cultivar ‘Duke Gardens’. With more of a rounded outline ‘Duke Gardens’ finishes nicely at four to five feet tall and wide. Also projecting dark green foliage, this one has upswept arching branches and a slight aromatic fragrance. Finally, a vertical accent to your garden is ‘Fastigiata’. Capable of growing ten feet all, slowly remember, this is an outstanding columnar candidate that can hide your air conditioner units or act as a really cool container plant. With black-green markings, ‘Fastigiata’ has almost weeping new growth held stiffly on an upward appearance. I saw some stunning examples of this cultivar last winter visiting Napa Valley. The hotel we stayed in used them effectively around their pool, in containers, to help frame their Mediterranean feel.
Finally, aside from their versatility and adaptability, Cephalotaxus are being used medicinally. Anticancer alkaloids such as Cephalotaxine and harringtonine are compounds being extracted. With all that has been said about this fabulous genus, Michael Dirr (Professor and Plant demigod of our time) says it best. “Potential has not even been tapped; a superb and shade tolerant aristocrat evergreen for groupings, masses and accents; slow growing which frightens those who design with a juniper mentality, but the rewards over time are abundant.”