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If you’re very observant you may soon see one of the earliest spring blooming plants — Adonis amurensis.
Although it is sometimes premature as a harbinger of spring and could easily pass unnoticed for much of the year, once you are aware of Adonis, its emergence is something to look forward to each year.
This very hardy perennial bursts through the ground and quickly comes into bloom from late winter. The flower buds emerge first and open just as the first of the roughly 10 × 8 cm, compound, finely cut leaves begin to unfurl. The foliage is rather like that of the common garden anemones, which is not surprising because Adonis belongs to the same family — the Ranunculaceae.
The bright golden-yellow, 3–4 cm diameter, buttercup-like flowers are over fairly quickly and are followed by elongated, somewhat comb-like seed heads which also resemble those of garden anemones.
By mid to late spring A. amurensis is dieing back, though during its brief growing season it attains a size of about 20–30 high × 30 cm wide. It disappears completely over summer and makes no visible sign of growth until the next season’s buds break through.
Adonis amurensis is extremely hardy. In its native Amur region (Manchuria, Japan and Korea) it often flowers through melting snow and ice.
This plant is popular in Japan and nurseries there offer several selected forms, such as the especially early-flowering ‘Fukujukai’ and the double-flowered ‘Pleniflora’ (‘Plena’).
The genus includes about 20 species spread over the cool-temperate Eurasian region. It is named after Adonis, the beautiful youth of Greek legend, who was transformed into a flower by Aphrodite.
Adonis amurensis is by far the most commonly grown perennial species. You may occasionally see the white flowered A. brevistyla or A. vernalis, a European species with very fine, needle-like foliage. Both of these species flower later than A. amurensis.
A. chrysocanthus, a species from the Himalayas, is very similar to A. amurensis in all respects except that it flowers in late summer and autumn.
Most Adonis species prefer moist, humus-rich soil with a position in part shade. They are ideal plants for shaded rockeries. Unfortunately, they are generally unsuited to mild climates as they need clearly defined seasons to behave normally. Too warm a climate will cause them to be short-lived. Propagate by seed or divisions made in autumn.
Copyright Geoff Bryant
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