Enkianthus
Encyclopedia
Enkianthus is a genus of shrubs or small trees in the heath family (Ericaceae
). Its native range is in Asia, as far west as the eastern Himalayas
, as far south as Indochina
, and as far north and east as China and Japan.
The plant was brought to England by Charles Maries
, who was plant-hunting in Japan at the time for Veitch Nurseries
. The shrub can exceed expectations of height under the right circumstances, as at William Robinson
's Gravetye Manor
, where a pair planted about the turn of the 20th century reached 15 feet.
Spacing: 4' to 5' apart
Average height x width: 10' tall x 5' wide
Fertilizing: Fertilize in spring just before new growth begins
Cold hardiness: -20°F
Water use: Keep soil evenly moist. Prefers acid, well-drained soil.
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
). Its native range is in Asia, as far west as the eastern Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, as far south as Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, and as far north and east as China and Japan.
Red-veined Enkianthus (E. campanulatus)
The hardiest of Enkianthus species is E. campanulatus, a medium size, narrow, upright, deciduous shrub. Its bright green glossy foliage gives brilliant coppery to red fall colors. In spring it offers a profusion of bell-shaped (campanula, "little bell"), creamy white flowers with red veins.The plant was brought to England by Charles Maries
Charles Maries
Charles Maries was an English botanist and plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to search for new hardy plants in Japan, China and Taiwan between 1877 and 1879; there he discovered over 500 new species, which Veitch introduced to England...
, who was plant-hunting in Japan at the time for Veitch Nurseries
Veitch Nurseries
The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into two separate businesses - based at Chelsea and...
. The shrub can exceed expectations of height under the right circumstances, as at William Robinson
William Robinson (gardener)
William Robinson was an Irish practical gardener and journalist whose ideas about wild gardening spurred the movement that evolved into the English cottage garden, a parallel to the search for honest simplicity and vernacular style of the British Arts and Crafts movement...
's Gravetye Manor
Gravetye Manor
Gravetye Manor is a manor house located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. The former home of William Robinson, it is now a hotel and restaurant., holding one star in the Michelin Guide.- History :The Elizabethan house was built in 1598...
, where a pair planted about the turn of the 20th century reached 15 feet.
Characteristics
Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSpacing: 4' to 5' apart
Average height x width: 10' tall x 5' wide
Fertilizing: Fertilize in spring just before new growth begins
Cold hardiness: -20°F
Water use: Keep soil evenly moist. Prefers acid, well-drained soil.
Other species
- Enkianthus cernuus (Sieb.Philipp Franz von SieboldPhilipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold was a German physician and traveller. He was the first European to teach Western medicine in Japan...
& Zucc.Joseph Gerhard ZuccariniJoseph Gerhard Zuccarini was a German botanist, Professor of Botany at the University of München. He worked extensively with Philipp Franz von Siebold, assisting in describing his collections from Japan, but also described plants discovered in other areas, including Mexico.-References:...
) Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
& Hook. f.Joseph Dalton HookerSir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
ex MakinoTomitaro Makinothumb|200px|Tomitaro Makino was a pioneer Japanese botanist noted for his taxonomic work. He has been called "Father of Japanese Botany", as he was one of the first Japanese botanists to work extensively on classifying Japanese plants using the system developed by Linnaeus... - Enkianthus chinensis Franch.Adrien René FranchetAdrien René Franchet was a French botanist, based at the Paris Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. He is noted for his extensive work describing the flora of China and Japan, based on the collections made by Armand David, Pierre Jean Marie Delavay, Paul Guillaume Farges and others.-References:...
, China - Enkianthus deflexus (Griff.William GriffithWilliam Griffith may refer to:* William Griffith , Welsh Member of Parliament for Caernarvon* William Griffith , Welsh Member of Parliament for Caernarvon and Caernarvonshire* William Griffith ,...
) C.K.Schneid.Camillo Karl SchneiderCamillo Karl Schneider was an Austrian botanist and landscape architect . A farmer's son, he was born at Gröppendorf, Saxony, and worked as a gardener at Zeitz, Dresden, Berlin and Greifswald...
, China, Himalaya, Nepal - Enkianthus nudipes (Honda) OhwiJisaburo Ohwiwas Japanese botanist. He was a distinguished member of the Faculty of Science of Kyoto Imperial University. He is perhaps best known for his 1953 .- Species names after Ohwi :* Carex ohwii Masam.* Cyperus ohwii Kük....
- Enkianthus pallidiflorus Craib
- Enkianthus pauciflorus E.H.WilsonErnest Henry WilsonErnest Henry "Chinese" Wilson , better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable English plant collector who introduced a large range of about 2000 of Asian plant species to the West; some sixty bear his name.-Career:...
, China - Enkianthus perulatus C.K.Schneid.Camillo Karl SchneiderCamillo Karl Schneider was an Austrian botanist and landscape architect . A farmer's son, he was born at Gröppendorf, Saxony, and worked as a gardener at Zeitz, Dresden, Berlin and Greifswald...
, China, Japan - Enkianthus quinqueflorus Lour.João de LoureiroJoão de Loureiro was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary, paleontologist, physician and botanist.In 1742 he travelled to Cochinchina, remaining there for 30 years. He became a specialist in Asian flora and on his return published Flora Cochinchinensis .- References :...
, China - Enkianthus recurvus Craib
- Enkianthus ruber Dop, Vietnam
- Enkianthus sikokianus (Palib.) OhwiJisaburo Ohwiwas Japanese botanist. He was a distinguished member of the Faculty of Science of Kyoto Imperial University. He is perhaps best known for his 1953 .- Species names after Ohwi :* Carex ohwii Masam.* Cyperus ohwii Kük....
- Enkianthus subsessilis (Miq.Friedrich Anton Wilhelm MiquelFriedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel was a Dutch botanist.He was head of the botanical gardens at Rotterdam , Amsterdam and Utrecht . He directed the Rijksherbarium at Leiden from 1862...
) MakinoTomitaro Makinothumb|200px|Tomitaro Makino was a pioneer Japanese botanist noted for his taxonomic work. He has been called "Father of Japanese Botany", as he was one of the first Japanese botanists to work extensively on classifying Japanese plants using the system developed by Linnaeus... - Enkianthus serotinus Chun & W.P.Fang, China
- Enkianthus serrulatus (E.H.WilsonErnest Henry WilsonErnest Henry "Chinese" Wilson , better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable English plant collector who introduced a large range of about 2000 of Asian plant species to the West; some sixty bear his name.-Career:...
) C.K.Schneid.Camillo Karl SchneiderCamillo Karl Schneider was an Austrian botanist and landscape architect . A farmer's son, he was born at Gröppendorf, Saxony, and worked as a gardener at Zeitz, Dresden, Berlin and Greifswald...
, China - Enkianthus taiwanianus T.S.Ying, Taiwan
- Enkianthus tectus Craib
- Enkianthus tubulatus P. C. Tam.