conflicting info

Hey all,

Is there a site that has accurate plant sizes?

It seems it is impossible to get a definite answer on a plants size, for example, I purchased a Hebe Celine yesterday, the label says it will reach a height of 45cm and a spread of 45 cm.

Various online sources say the pant will max at 30cm.

I have various matching lavenders from different garden centers, for (for example the little lady variety) yet labels in the pots give different sizes, and online sources give yet a different size.

its enough to drive someone crazy, as if my OCD isn't bad enough with the garden, its imposible to position bushes when I don't know how big they will get lol.

I wont even get started on the so called flowering periods, I had plants flower for most of the summer and into autumn last year, with the labels saying they were late spring flowers only.

 

In a word - no!

There are far too many variables to ever offer any accurate information.

 

Hi Adam , I use the Crocus site as a quick reference for plant sizes . Its displayed simply and clearly. As Longk says the variables on growing something make definitive sizes impossible.
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/hebe-mrs-winder/classid.1000000018/

 

I also believe a lot of it is more down to your growing conditions ,soil type,situation and weather as to what size a plant will reach therefore they can't give an accurate size just a guesstimate...

 

You could grow two identical plants just a few feet away from one another.
My guess is one would always grow bigger than the other, left to their own devises.

Nothing regarding plants is guaranteed, ultimate size being very difficult to foresee.

Often you are given a size, say, after 10 yrs.

 

I had a major gardening epiphany a few years ago, when I realised that all plant labels are just for decoration. They are, in my experience, almost always about as far wrong as it gets. I'm sure whoever produces them just goes to the same oracle as the people that do horoscopes.

Then there's a small matter of phytoliteracy. Plants can't read. They don't know or care what you expect them to do. They'll just do what they see fit.

Obviously there are general guides. Its a safe assumption that an oak tree will grow larger than a dandelion for example, but it makes me laugh when I read things like "this plant will reach 10ft in 5 years", with the implication being that you can make a note on the calendar and after 5 years, you'll be able to measure it and find it is exactly 10ft tall.

To combat these little problems, the trick is, in my opinion, to plant things up with a view to them looking good in a few weeks, and lasting a few months, then just move things about and/or trim things as you go along.

 

Thanks all,

I did a lot of relocating and replaced a couple of sorry looking lavenders with other plants (forgot to prune them and they also seemed to be dying down).

I guess I'll enjoy the tidyness through out the summer, and worry about the mess and clutter next spring lol.

One thing I have noticed with my garden, everything seems to grow a lot faster than expected, my 2 Erysimums are at full size already and haven't even been in for a year yet.