NOS
AESCULUS
PARVIFLORA
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click image to enlarge
Boxerwood Gardens, Lexington, Virginia (boxerwood.org)  2003. This is the largest and best-shaped plant of the typical var. parvifolia I know. Wished I'd caught it in bloom but maybe another time. Just imagine each of those erect green stalks carrying clean white bottlebrush flowers! This one plant is easily 20 feet wide and is such a remarkable plant I'd encourage everyone to visit this remarkable collection of rare woody plants just to see this one plant. Of the species,  W.J. Bean says it so well: "There are few shrubs about which more could be said in favor than this...no better plant could be recommended as a lawn shrub, especially for places that are visited in August - such as many pleasure resorts".

Aesculus parviflora var. parviflora
ns: this is "species typical" of gardens.
bt: 2-4 weeks before var. serotina

Aesculus parviflora var. serotina (f. serotina)
ht: larger than var. parviflora, known to reach 20 ft. at the Arnold Arboretum and elsewhere.
bt: blooms 2-4 weeks after species, extending the effect when both varieties are interplanted.
infl: longer panicle than var. parviflora, sometimes drooping or cascading from the extra weight, especially
infl: after rain or in shade where plants are thinner
lc: distinctly blue-green below which is not always true of var. parviflora.
li: J. Arnold Arb. 1928: 30
geo: first known from Alabama USA c. 1919.
so: Woodlanders

cclick image to compare 'Rogers' with var. parviflora
JC Raulston Arboretum. July 2003. There are very woody plant species where one cultivar peaks a full month after the typical species. And in such a lovely species the interplanting of the two taxa gives one double the days of interest. The two floral calendars do not overlap so it is not a typical "extension of bloom period" situation. Note the longer, drooping infloresences of this selected clone. Typical species or var. parviflora often has inflorescences half to two-thirds of those shown here. The white saturation is greater as a result. This is a truly unique and highly recommended cultivar for use in temperate gardens around the world. Dr. McDaniel was a genius for selecting and naming truly memorable cultivars and this is one of his very finest choices.

Aesculus parviflora var. serotina 'Rogers'
bt: later than var. serotina as typical and much later than var. parviflora
infl: 18-30 in. long - longer than many var. serotina
or: selected seedling by Dr. J.C. McDaniel of the Univ. of IL USA. Named for a Dr. Rogers in
or: Urbana IL in whose yard the original plant was planted.
eval: a very useful cultivar for extending the lovely bloom of this species mucher later into the year.

Aesculus parviflora (late blooming strain)
ns: later-blooming plants almost always belong to var. serotina.
so: Woodlanders