Just How Cold Hardy Can Lady In Red Be?
June 27, 2004
~ an excerpt of an e-mail to Dr. Michael A. Dirr from a friend in Massachusetts
Hi Dr. Mike!
...Many interesting things to share with you one of these days - perhaps this fall. Here are a couple of quick comments about whats going on at my end.
All time record cold this past winter on Nantucket (-3F), with steady gales, and no snow cover. Wind chill numbers down to -30s. I believe wind chill may be more significant than the absolute air temp and degree days may also be an important factor in assessing plant cold hardiness. Significant winter-kill on the island in general - even among the well established specimens. We sustained major losses with exposed stock irrespective of pot size, especially in the previous summers pot-ups. Interestingly, some of our smaller sizes that were more root-bound, survived in good numbers. One stellar survivor was Lady-in-Red; both liners you gave us - re-potted in 1 gal. containers - came through without the least die-back and are about to bloom (now in the ground).
Our in-ground plants survived well; we lost just 3 late 03 planted specimens out of 150 or so. The hardy series - Penny Mac, Decatur Blue, Oak Hill,
David Ramsey, Endless Summer, our selected Nantucket Nikko - have prevailed in good fashion and are just beginning their floral display...
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