The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Trees and Shrubs => Topic started by: Flora Mediterranea on July 20, 2011, 03:25:29 PM
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The cultivar, breeded at Hillier Nursery at the end of the last century, shall be named not as C. ternata, correct is Choisya x dewitteana, the recommended common name is starleaf. SCHROEDER (yearbook of the Deutsche Denrologische Gesellschaft) pointed out, that this cultivar tolerates much more frost than Choisya ternata - temperatures below -20°C caused no damage, even without any sheltering methods.
Beside that, I can recommend this plant for its extremly elegant leaves and even more for the widespreading scent of the flowers, which appear in spring and - little less - in autumn.
Another variety from the same breeder (Peter Moore) is said to be even better: ´White Dazzler´ is more compact than ´Aztec Pearl´, but I have not tested it yet.
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I recently planted one in the lower garden, I was curious about the scent and wondered if it will compete with the nearby powerfully scented rutaceae such as the Murraya and the citruses. Frost tolerance is not really an issue here, but I wonder if the half shade position I selected will do for it.
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I once grew Choisya dumosa var. arizonica (syn. C. arizonica) from seed and I managed to keep one going for a few years on a rockery in south London though it really hated our climate and eventually conked out. This is in the last 15 years or so. I'm sure it would do better further south in a drier climate but it is a lovely evergreen foliage plant. The hybrid 'Aztec Pearl' is indeed a splendid plant but in the UK I would have to warn of our variable climate. When I was growing up in the north (Lancashire) there were a whole range of tender plants that would never come through a winter and this included Choisya, Fatsia and Ceanothus. It wasn't just a question of certain ones being tender they all were and they were always killed. Though I am talking about 40 years ago!
I did notice this winter that C. ternata 'Sundance' was quite badly burnt locally though it came through OK.
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David Bracey has suggested to me that we should encourage forum members whose native language is not English to post messages in their own language, ideally with an English translation - so as to encourage other non-anglophones to use the forum. I think this is an excellent idea, and shall suggest this to them.
Maria Sansoni, who started this Choisya discussion, has just included a parallel note on the subject in her MGS branch newsletter, and to start the ball rolling I take the liberty of reproducing it here:
Bislang führten wir diese spannende Sorte unter Choisya ternata ´Aztec Pearl´. Nach SCHROEDER 2011, Jahrbuch der Deutschen Dendrologischen Gesellschaft, ist diese in der berühmten englischen Gärtnerei Hillier entstandene Hybride jedoch korrekt mit "Choisya x dewitteana" zu benennen. Als deutschen Namen schlägt er Sternblatt vor - dem werden wir uns gerne anschließen.
Noch wichtiger jedoch als die Nomenklatur sind die Erkenntnisse über die Frosthärte: Beispielsweise hielten die Pflanzen in Göttingen zwei harte Winter unter -20°C ungeschützt ohne jegliche Schäden aus.
Das Laub dieses dekorativen, höchstens mannshohen immergrünen Strauches wirkt durch die tiefen Einbuchtungen äußerst grazil. Bereits Jungpflanzen blühen sehr reich, weiß und duften stark - oft zweimal im Jahr (Winter-Frühjahr und Herbst).
Das Sternblatt wächst auch gut im Schatten.
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I planted an 'Aztec Pearl' next to my established ternata thinking the two would complement each other in terms of foliage and bloom. It hasn't worked out that way-- the Pearl looks weak in direct comparison even though it seems in good health. They bloom at the same time and again the Pearl suffers even though it's blossoms are more elegant and perfumed. I'm not sure whether I can transplant it now. It's 4 years old and about 90 cm high. Should I risk it?
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I think you should try to move it Cali if you are not pleased with how it looks in its present position. This shrub seems to have very strong roots as mine has sent up new shoots quite a distance from the main plant one of which I successfully dug up, potted up and passed on to a friend. I think I did this in the spring but obviously you will know better than I when is the optimum time for you to attempt the move in your garden.
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Dear Cali,
oh yes, you can transplant Choisya ´Aztec Pearl´ after years and years. An recent article in "Der Staudengarten", a German yournal, showed: One digged out an Aztec Pearl after many years, then he cut back nearly 75% of the plant and planted it new. Full success!
Greetings!
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It's now the time for the autumn flowering and the 'Pearl' is lagging way behind with only a few buds showing. Despite the nice contrast in foliage I think I will move it in early spring. It's now 6 years old and comes from good Filippi stock so it should be doing much better. It gets no sun at all where it is now. Should I plant where the shade is lighter?
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I would move it sooner than later personally. Reduced considerably as Maria suggested. It's other parent Choisya arizonica which I think is a lovely shrub would not like shade to my knowledge.
Many years ago I grew C. arizonica from seed and it grew well in a pot but then I had to plant it out and placed it in the brightest spot I could on the top of a rockery but it didn't like the London climate and struggled looking quite unhappy. It flowered a couple of times before it succumbed to presumably too much cold and damp.
C. 'Aztec Pearl' does very well in London and I prefer it to C. ternata. The foliage is also very useful for floral arrangements.
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Thank you, John, though the fact that it does so well in London doesn't bode too well for Greece....
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"Choisya arizonica" is actually a variety of C. dumosa, so is called C. dumosa var. arizonica.
Has anyone in mediterranean-climate areas tried Choisya ‘White Dazzler’ (or as it’s been called in some countries ‘Londaz’?), that Maria mentioned when she started this topic. This Peter Moore hybrid is a cross between his original Aztec Pearl and the Mexican type species of C. dumosa; it’s already quite widely available in the UK.
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A new variety with golden young leaves, 'Aztec Gold', was attracting a lot of attention at London's Chelsea Show this year - click here (http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=702.msg5359#msg5359) to see.
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Choisya ternata, Mexican orange blossom
Seen in the Royal Botanic Garden Madrid , April 2018
This shrub originates in Mexico and apparently the leaves are aromatic
You can read about it here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/3766/i-Choisya-ternata-i/Details
Choisya ternata is mentioned many times in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
I have chosen number 65, July 2011 for you, and me, to read today
STARTING AN AUSTRALIAN GARDEN IN A DROUGHT by Graham Cooke