S. fortunei and cortusifolia cultivars etc.
It is good to see some new S. fortunei cultivars being made available in the Nursery
trade in the UK. I know Bob Brown of Cotswold Garden Flowers is importing them from a Japanese breeder called Shimchi Kudo. Keith Lever of Aberconway Nursery is also breeding some new clones, and has sold some good pink flowered forms.
I have seen some plants labelled as S. cortusifolia ssp. fortunei, I am sure this is a mistake that harks back 30 or more years when there was an attempt to lump them together. The Flora of Japan (1965) keeps them as separate species and all authorities that I have checked keep them separate.
An easy guide for separating them; S. fortunei has the longest petal toothed and no yellow spots on the smaller petals, also it flowers mid to late Oct. in UK;
S. cortusifolia has no teeth on the longest petal and yellow spots on the other petals, and flowers mid to late Sept. in UK. For an explanation of the two species Winton Hardings AGS book 'Saxifrages' has a useful guide to distinguishing them.
The picture below shows a superb plant of 'Cheap Confections' shown at the AGS Horsham show.
|
Saxifraga fortunei 'Cheap Confections'
|
'Black Ruby' is a small dark leaved S. fortunei cultivar, this one in Tim Roberts peat trough.
|
Saxifraga fortunei 'Black Ruby'
|
The third picture was also taken at the Horsham show, this is a new hybrid created by Ray Drew by crossing
S. fortunei with 'Blackberry & Apple Pie. It is a stunning plant with extremely dark leaves and large pink flowers, not named yet.
|
Saxifraga fortunei x S. 'Blackberry and Apple Pie'
|
- Adrian Young
| 
