Reineckea

A distinctly smaller form with wider and shorter leaves than any of the dozen or so clones we grow. This was found on the summit of Jinfoshan where it was growing in deep moss on top of hard limestone Stegosaurus outcrops in a miniature stone forest. We thought this might be a new subspecies at least but DNA puts it squarely in R. carnea. The scented pink and white flowers are much more visible in this form than in the typical range of the species and we felt it merited a clonal name.

A very fine form both in habit and flowers which was collected at 2000m on Emeishan in Sichuan China.

An evergreen Lily-of-the-Valley relative, this is our collection from Yunnan, China from our 1997 trip. This is distinctly different than the Reineckia carnea of Japan as well as other collections from China yet DNA by Aaron Floden puts it right in the species. Scented pink flowers at the base of the leaves.

A Darrell Probst collection of this classic Chinese evergreen groundcover which sends Kelly into defensive throes of passionate oration when ne'er do well gardeners question its place. Little candles of pink and white flowers held by the arched creeping candelabra stems which are then followed by glossy red baubles that would be fabulous as miniature ornaments. Let the Christmas reign of holly end and the new dawn of Reineckea begin.

This is a collection by Wynn-Jones in 2000 from near Baoxing Sichuan who thought at the time it was an unusual form, but it is well within the gradient for typical Reineckea carnea. This is a must for the shade garden along with every other one Reineckea you can lay your hands on! Good to zone 6 and likely 5.

We have become unaccountably smitten by Reineckea ever since discovering a plant of this species in the Gangheba in Yunnan in 1997 which looked quite different from this form which is the one typically found in cultivation. So of course we are now actively seeking all the forms we can including subsequent collections from different areas in China but we still have a soft spot for this "original" form. This no doubt hails from Japan and has low, grassy evergreen foliage with small candles of pink-backed white flowers in June followed by little red fruits. A nice little easy slow carpeter and very good under larger Rhododendrons or as a small-scale groundcover.