Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
2011
Trials Office
The Royal Horticultural Society Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB
Introduction to Argyranthemum
Argyranthemum, Greek for ‘silver flower’ is a genus of around 37 species found naturally in the
Canary Islands and Madeira archipelagos. They are very closely resemble Chrysanthemum, but
differ having daisy like flowers; a shrubby habit and are evergreen. Although Argyranthemum can
be grown outdoors, most are too tender all year round in the UK, These plants are not fully hardy
and either requires bringing into a cool greenhouse or being treated as an annual used as part of a
bedding schemes, in containers or in borders. They have a long flowering period, usually May
through to October or the first frost.
The foliage is finely dissected or lobe and can have a bluish green. The daisy-like flowers are
borne in loose corymbs and vary from single, anemone-centred, or double. Colours are available
in a wide range from white, yellow, pink to apricots.
Objectives
Judging
The plants were assessed by the Floral Trials Assessment Panel fortnightly, beginning on 12th July
2011. Judging was based on the following criteria:
Entries
There were 107 entries in the trial supplied by growers, breeders, individuals and nurseries from
the UK and Europe. Each entry consisted of 3 plants, sent as plugs or cuttings and grown on to 1
litre pots by the propagation department before planting.
Cultivation
Whilst being grown on by propagation, all plants were cut back to stop early flowering and
encourage a compact, bushy habit. This was done by shearing to a height of about 20cm. Entry
91, believed to be the true ‘Jamaica Primrose’ did not respond to this treatment.
Planting was carried out in June into a rotovated bed with no fertilisers or soil improvers added.
Argyranthemum does not need rich soils to thrive. Smaller entries were planted in groups of three
in a triangle whilst larger entries were planted in a line. One plant of each entry was deadheaded
fortnightly, but plants received no other treatments. Irrigation pipes were laid and used when
necessary.
Other Findings
During the trial it was noted that all plants were substantially larger than those grown in the natural
conditions. The panel agreed that the high levels of nitrogen in the soil (the trial bed had
previously been used to grow winter squash) cause plants to have greener foliage than is normal
in those varieties with blue (glaucous) leaves and stems were not as strong causing some entries
to collapse or for stems to snap.
The panel took particular interest during the assessment of the need to ‘Deadheading’ each
cultivar. There were a number of plants where the visual impression was a marked improvement
whilst others no benefit was obvious for what was recognised as a tedious job.
The following are the plants thought to fulfil the Award of Garden Merit criteria during the trial and
to be worthy of receiving the award. The criteria which a plant needs to fulfil in order to receive the
award are:
Comments “Spectacular.”
Sender: Syngenta Seeds
Figure 7: Deadheaded
Figure 8: Not Deadheaded
Argyranthemum ‘Starlight’
The following previously awarded Awards of Garden Merit were not reconfirmed and will be
considered during the Sunset Review 2012.
82 Argyranthemum Mr A J Robinson
Sender Details
Ashwood Nurseries, Ashwood Lower Lane, Kingswinford, West Midlands DT6 0AE
Ball Colegrave Ltd, Milton Road, West Adderbury, Banbury, Oxon OX17 3EY
Danziger Dan Flower Farm, Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel, 50297
Heuger, Mϋnsterstr. 46, Glandorf, 49219, Germany
Hill House Nursery, Landscove, Nr Ashburton, Devon TQ13 7LY
Kernock Park Plants, Pillaton, Saltash, Cornwal PL12 6RY
Mr A J Robinson, Sycamore Farm, Foston, Derbyshire DE65 5PW
Mr I Dickings, Rumah Kita, Church Lane, Bedfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 7JJ
Mr M Snellgrove, Brymead, Cannonstown, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 6LZ
PLA International ApS, Nejedevej 42, 3400 Hilleroed, Denmark
R Delamore Ltd, Station Road, Wisbech St Mary, PE13 4RY
Selecta Klemm GmbH & Co KG, Hanfäcker 10, Stuttgart, 70378, Germany
Special Plants, Greenways Lane, Cold Ashton, Chippenham, SN14 8LA
Syngenta Seeds Ltd, CPC4, Capital Park, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5XE
Westhoff Vertriebsges mbH, Fresenhorst 22-24, D-46354 Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany
More information about RHS Trials and other colour illustrated reports can be
found on the RHS Website: http://www.rhs.org.uk/trials