Summertime in Willow Creek

Summertime in Willow Creek

Cotinus fuji golden spirit Rosehips royal purple cotinus summer flower farming summer flowers Willow Creek

The last time I was in Willow Creek it was winter.  It was cold and the majority of the farm was pruned, flat, and waiting...But now, smack dab in the middle of summer, our Willow Creek Farm is crawling with activity, growth, and color! 

Willow Creek: Winter to Summer Transformation

So, what's hot in Willow Creek? Well, right now we are pulling in tons of our Fuji rosehips, whose berries resemble small green apples with a little bit of red, hence the name, Fuji. Designers love these red-and-green-hued rosehips which are perfect for the summer color palette. 

Fuji Rosehips in Willow Creek

Rosehips develop after their wild, pink flowers are pollinated and the petals drop off.  Once the bloom is gone, the seed pod (or hip) begins to form.  The species of Rosa we use are specifically bred to create big, beautiful hips, which is why regular rose bushes will not produce anything quite like them (to learn more about how we care for Rosehips, click here).

Rosehip Flower and Subsequent Berries

As the season progresses, so will the Rosehip's color, transforming from the fresh, summertime green-red combination into an autumnal reddish-orange hue (perfect for fall!) and finally, developing into a saturated cherry red.  What's really cool is that their changing complexion stays in line with each season's color scheme, keeping rosehips in high demand for fashionable, seasonal arrangements. 

Rosehip Field

So, now is the time to act on the Fuji variety; soon, the berries will morph into autumn's red-orange hue, and as the foliage drops off, the berries will turn to red, and before we know it, the magical rosehip season is over for yet another year.

Seasonal Rosehip Color changes

And what else is happening in our Willow Creek Fields besides the Rosehip Harvest?  One of my favorite crops to explore is our plots of ten-foot-tall Cotinus.

Ten-foot-tall Cotinus

The Royal Purple Cotinus in Willow Creek has grown well over my head and towers above its neighboring rosehips.  Its burgundy-purple sheen absolutely glows in the afternoon sunshine and its height makes quite the impression.

 While the upper side of each leaf is a bright burgundy, the underside is a muted silver-green (as you can see in the photo to the right).  Each leaf is framed by a bright red, iridescent edging, giving the entire branch a unique, dramatic, and contrasting presentation.

And how it loves to grow! Royal Purple Cotinus is drought-tolerant, extremely resilient to pests and fungi, requires minimal fertilization, and performs magnificently!  We start harvesting the stems around June and continue to pick through summer, usually stopping by the end of October. 


...and it gets better.  In the last couple years Sun Valley has added a new Cotinus variety, Golden Spirit, which I like to call the "wicked green Cotinus," and taking a look at the photos, you can see why.  This variety of Cotinus is brilliantly colored and gorgeously green.

Golden Spirit Cotinus

They act similarly to the Royal Purple cultivar, though because they are so light in color, we have had to make a few practical changes.  Royal Purple Cotinus is grown in open fields, allowing its dark leaves to really soak up the sunshine.  But, like any fair-skinned friend, Golden Spirit needs its complexion protected with shade cloth, otherwise the leaves will burn.

 

Golden Spirit Cotinus under Shade Cloth

Last but definitely not least, I took a peak at our extensive Ilex crops which are well on their way.

Come September, our orange and gold varieties will be ready to rock fall floral arrangements; followed closely behind by the harvest of our red Ilex (perfect timing for Thanksgiving and December Holidays).  Stay tuned, as we'll be giving you another Ilex update as these "winterberries" start rolling in the following months.





But, wait! It's still summer!  And while Fall and its autumn-hued Rosehips and Ilex are around the corner, 'tis the season for fresh Fuji Rosehips, giant Royal Purple Cotinus, and glowing Golden Spirit.

Until next time, this is Lady Aster signing off in beautiful Willow Creek.

 

Cotinus: The Sensational Smoke Tree

Cotinus: The Sensational Smoke Tree

#CAGrown Cotinus Lady Aster royal purple cotinus smokebush Willow Creek

When I first started working here on the farm, it seemed like I was learning the name of a new type of flora every day.  Quite frankly, the first time I heard the word, "Cotinus," I thought we were talking about a medical condition...

But when I saw the dramatic burgundy plant, I realized that YES, I did know it. 
 

However, I knew this deciduous shrub by its common name, "Smoke Bush" (or Smoke Tree).  This name comes from the plant's late-season appearance, when its wispy, airy flowers fade into a pearl-white color which literally resembles puffs of smoke.  We harvest the branches before the plant flowers, so don’t expect any wispy smoke from us. 
 

Gardeners have been using Cotinus for years, and it has been bred extensively to grow in various shapes, sizes, and colors.  My favorite is the "Royal Purple" cultivar which we grow here--the burgundy-purple sheen on the upper side of each leaf is paired with a silver-green underside.  Toward the end of the season (and as you can see in the photos), each leaf is framed by a bright red, almost iridescent, edging.  Unique AND breathtaking!

In the wild, cotinus is found on the warm hillsides from Southern Europe to Northern China.  In the Americas, you can find it at our Willow Creek Farm in Northern California.
 

Our Willow Creek Farm

Our Willow Creek farm is in the hills of Humboldt County, nestled in a sunny valley (elevation 640 feet) right on the banks of the Trinity River.  Though it's only a 45 minute drive from our coastal Arcata farm, the climate here is much different.  The inland location and higher elevation provides more sunshine and a lot more heat (10-30 degrees more during the summer!).  These atmospheric conditions are perfect for growing cotinus, since it loves full sun and warmth.

6-foot tall Royal Purple Cotinus, back lit by the morning sun

And how it loves to grow! We start harvesting the stems around the first of June and continue to pick through summertime into fall, usually stopping by the end of October.  

At the end of each season, our Willow Creek team trims each plant down to the ground, and from early spring to the end of fall, it will shoot back up to 10+ feet.  According to our growers, Sun Valley's "Royal Purple" cotinus is a dream to cultivate.  It's drought-tolerant, extremely resilient to pests and fungi, requires minimal fertilization, and performs magnificently!


Mixing it Up

The dark coloring of cotinus makes it a very versatile piece for floral design--it can act as a dark background element, stand out as a tall, eye-catching focal, and it looks great mixed with strong colors. 

Its palette of purple, burgundy, and scarlet with bright red edging and silvery green undersides and can really bring out warm pinks, oranges, yellows, and reds. 



  

Royal Lilies, Rose hips, and Cotinus

Cotinus, Snowberries, Sonata Lilies, and Beargrass

Whether it's early in the season or late, the leaves of Royal Purple Cotinus are vibrant and richly hued, and there's always a glint in the dark foliage. The bright veins and edging really makes the dark and dramatic leaves sing. 

We offer 3-foot tall consumer bunches, as well as custom-cut "super bunches" boasting an incredible 6 feet in height.  If you want to make an impact, cotinus is the specialty branch for you!