IT’S ALWAYS NICE to feel ahead of the curve. For probably a dozen years, I have been growing a springtime ephemeral (simply meaning it disappears back underground after its early display) that’s suddenly getting “discovered.” Hylomecon japonicum, a member of the poppy family or Papavaraceae, blooms with other extra-early things like primulas and trilliums, adding its buttercup-like golden flowers in gaudy profusion to the floor of the shade garden.
I got my plant at a sale at the New England Wildflower Society all those years ago. Their specialty is American natives, of course, but they also sell (or used to sell) some select Asian things; Hylomecon is from Japan.
For years I had just the one plant, which a friend who was helping in the garden about six years ago dug up and divided when I was not looking. Coming upon him with the tiny pieces in his hands, I started to shout, and then cry. My precious little plant would not survive such treatment, I feared—and where would I ever find another, since it was not in catalogs? He yelled back, then tucked each of the bits in a hole of its own as if to say, “You’ll see.”
The next spring I had dozens (and now, following his example again and again, I have hundreds). These days you can buy this treasure by mail: Famed plant hunter Barry Yinger of Asiatica Nursery in Pennsylvania has it in his list; Ellen Hornig up north at Seneca Hill Perennials in Oswego, NY, does, too, but is taking orders for fall, not spring, 2008 shipment. Remember, one yields plenty, if you have a little patience, and then fearlessness (or a fearless friend)—and a sharp knife.
Martha, is your golden spring poppy deer proof?
Welcome, Sherrye. I am laughing that you called me Martha (which is a VERY common occurrence, as I have written about: see item #1 here). I am fenced from deer (which you can read about in this post), so I am not sure, but in the years before the fence I do not recall that this was a favorite of theirs.
I raked away what was, frankly, just a pile of leaves under hemlocks and birches, and a week later found that mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense)had completely carpeted the ground! Thank you for inspiring me –I’ve been wondering about underplanting after these spring ephemerals fade–your great ideas and photos will help a lot! I love the idea of a “mosaic”—a good word to describe that lovely effect of lush underplanting. I am curious whether you’ve visited Project Native in Housatonic? I have had good luck with both Bunchberry (cornus canadensis) and Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) for groundcovers as well. They take a couple of seasons to establish, but are really beautiful native plants. I am a little too much of a control freak for an all-native garden–but for weekend gardeners like me, they are easy and hardy and non-invasive.