Pushing the zone

20 years ago

I would love to hear experiences with any marginally hardy (or at least can't find a consistant hardiness rating) or not hardy at all (supposedly) here in MN over the past winter. I bought a few ? hardy plants with mixed results. Here are a few things I put in last year.

Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret'--no dieback

Taxodium distichum ($7, sold as a pond plant)--no dieback

Japanese Maple 'Sango Kaku'--50%+ dead

Calycanthus 'Athens'--no dieback

Heptacodium--no dieback

Mystery HD rhodies--2/3 survived with no winterburn, the other is dead

Magnolia 'Butterflies'--unbelievable...gorgeous(still blooming) and fragrant. Don't think this was much of a stretch, but am happy when any magnolia survives the winter.

Magnolia 'Jane'--actually second year, this winter did it in. It languished last year.

Musa basjoo--heavily mulched by the foundation--nothing yet. I think they rotted in the ground.

I am not sure how much of a test this winter was, but I figure another year under the belts of these guys can't hurt.

I also had 2 'Guacamole' hostas that died. Go figure.

Josh

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Comments (4)

taft
20 years ago
Josh...your post is actually a very good idea for us cold weather gardener's. I always like to learn from other's what grows for them and what doesn't.

I planted alot of new stuff last year and so far everything has come back with the exception of one sedum. We also transplanted a five year old Washington Hawthorn tree, I use the term transplanted loosely here as it was done with a backhoe bucket, but sadly, I don't think it made it. We had to move the tree so it was worth trying and after we moved it I kept a water hose on it daily but to no avail, I'm afraid. So far no leaf buds what-so-ever.

My biggest personal successes have been my two Pagoda dogwoods that continute to survive. One I even transplanted last fall (it was two years old) so again, was skeptical it could handle the transplanting + winter but so far...all of it is dead but there is one new green shoot coming out of the ground!

I would love to try a Japanese maple but for the cost of them and my very cold rural environment...it's too risky unless I can find a reasonably priced one.
meeperx
20 years ago
Plant tags that said zone 5 or higher

Carex 'Ice Dance'
Geum coccineum 'Cooky'
Lewisia little plum
Holly 'China Girl'
Boxwood 'Green Velvet'
Varigated Aralia
Helianthemum (Rock Rose)'Peach Double'
Carpet rose
Climbing Hydrangea
Varigated woodland phlox
Rose of Sharon 'Red heart' & a white double I forgot the name of
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lori1_gardener
20 years ago
I have a climbing hydrangea in from last year.
It made it through the winter, bloomed like crazy
and is starting to shoot up the side of my garage.

I just love it!!

I also have two JM's planted from last spring that made it.
They were packed with leaves is all.

But I dont know if this last winter counts??

I am always pushing the zone!!!!
crocosmia_mn
20 years ago
This winter I am going to leave all my Crocosmias in the ground, heavily mulched, because several of the varieties I bought were labelled Zone 5. As a further experiment, I planted the corms at different depths: some sources say "no more than 2 inches" and some say as much as eight! I've only had 'Lucifer ' come back before. I would love to hear from anybody about exactly HOW to super-mulch a plant, such as how big of an area to cover and whether any non-organic materials would be worth trying -- I am willing to get pretty extreme about it just for this plant!