Return to the Cutting Garden Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
Posted by herblady49 Z6 PA (My Page) on Sat, Jul 25, 09 at 14:09
I purchased my plant about 15 years ago on a trip to New Hampshire. It's a hardy grower from zone 2 - 7, and will grow 6-8 feet tall. I prune the plant to the ground in February, and by late spring it will be 5 feet tall. The main flush of flowers is from late June thru July in my zone 6, when the shrub will be loaded with huge creamy white long stemed astilbe-like flowers. If you continue to cut your flowers it will have sporadic flowering through September. The flowers and the foliage are beautiful in arrangements, and have a long life when cut. I always cut mine right before the flowers fully open, when all the flowers are still a tiny little white ball. They'll fully open in the water.
The shrub suckers, so if you're planting it by the lawn, just mow over the shoots. I plant mine in my garden, and in the spring I root prune all around the shrub and pull out the emerged shoots, which are easily planted elsewhere or shared with friends. I have never had a problem with it overpowering my garden.
If your growing to sell for cuts they'll be one of your best sellers. One year I saved all the cobalt blue bottles I could get my hands on(about 30), and for July 4th at the farmers market I put one white Sorbaria and 2 red Dahlias in a blue bottle and sold out in 15 minutes.
|
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
| I'm sorry. The shrub is Sorbaria sorbifolia. |
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
| Wow! That is exquisitely beautiful. Thank you for sharing the photos and info on vase life and cultivation. I'm going to look around for it. Teresa |
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
- Posted by pudge 2/3 Sask (My Page) on
Sat, Jul 25, 09 at 19:59
| Thanks for posting this info. I have two large plantings of this shrub that are normally loaded with blooms, and I was considering them for cuts just the other day. But since I have never tested them for longevity, I never did use them. For me they'd be in bloom the same time as peonies and I'll bet they'd be great together. |
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
| Beautiful! This shrub is new to me, and I am definitely going to do some more research. Herblady, the blooms look like they hang down. Do you cut them and put them upright in the vase, or do you cut long stems and let them hang over/droop out of the vase? Thanks,
Dee |
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
| Hi Dee, The picture was taken after a heavy rain, and because it was heavy with flowers it tended to hang down. A flower in it bud stage(which is the best time to cut)stands upright. |
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
| Ah, I see. Thanks. Wow, even after a hard rain the bloom looks wonderful. :)
Dee |
RE: A beautiful shrub and an excellent cut flower
| | |
- Posted by sunnyjo 6 - South Central Mi (My Page) on
Mon, Jul 27, 09 at 17:53
| GORGEOUS! Is it fragrant? |
|
|
|
|
