Quackin Grass Nursery

Variegation not yet showing on newly emerged leaves. Note the touch of purple at the peltate heart with concentration of silvery white hairs

Syneilesis x(?) 'Miasma' (formerly 'S'cunnet Fog') - Ed Bowen handed me a pot of 'S'cunnet Fog' (which is also spelled 'Sakonnet Fog') propagated from the original chance seedling he found at his remarkable nursery, Opus Plants. I can tell you that my eyebrows lifted when seeing it... There is irregular white blotching, bars and striations on the green leaves like rising wisps of fog. The variegation is subtle, not shocking rather like a rising wisp of fog. And when I requested more information about this find Ed emailed us back, "We had high hopes for a better seedling, but have only had albino or green offspring... Your turn. As we have all manner of intermediate plants arising from seed here, I’m reluctant to ascribe a species, but nearer aconitifolia than palmata. S’cunnet is an old, Yankee, poeticism for Sakonnet, the original name for Little Compton, RI, and still refers generally to the southwest side of the peninsula that comprises the town. Named for the original inhabitants, variously the Sogkonnet, Sagonnet Seconet, Saconet band of the Wampanoag Indians, the name means land/haunt of the black (Canada) goose." Apparently, Ed has now changed the name as he now refers to this variegated form (which may be a hybrid or not!) as 'Miasma'. I kinda like 'Scunnet Fog', the historical reference and that this form arose in Rhode Island. His nursery has also had a name change and is now Issima. Dude - you're as notorious as the taxonomists. This is another great plant that also happens to display significant tolerance to dry summer shade. Syneilesis is a clumping perennial with moderately slow increase. It is also among the rare handful of woodland perennials that blooms in midsummer. Typical midsummer flowers in a lavender shade... it's the deep cut umbrella peltate foliage that's the reason to grow these. These spikes grow 18 to 30 inches taller than the foliage. Dappled shade to morning sun in fertile, draining soil. Established pot grown plant from division. We'll see about the "your turn", seed thing!