It's been re-classified as Dendranthema morifolium 'Sheffield'. I find the whole business of the classification of what used to be all lumped together as Chrysanthemum quite messy. In other words, I am mightily confused!
Yeah, I know it's not in there, but Google brings up lots of hits. If no UK vendor indicates offering of a particular plant for awhile, the Plant Finder doesn't list it. The Plant Locator - Western Region cross references to 'Hillside Sheffield'.
Last edited by Ron B; November 2nd, 2005 at 10:35 PM.
Do you know if it is a North American cultivar (surely not with that name?)? I checked into paper Plant Finders back to 1998 today (and looked for Hillside Sheffield) and found nothing. The fact that it is all over the place with Google, yet is not offered for sale in the UK (while hundreds of others are) is very suspicious.
I thought likewise, but did not follow up by looking for origination information in Google hits. Many North American place names were brought over from "the old country" and reused, so there could be a Sheffield here somewhere. Another thing is that large cultivar groups include plants that have been named by people with varying interests, backgrounds and motivations, this 'mum could've been named by someone here who had an attachment to "Sheffield", was named Sheffield themselves or wanted it to sound like the cultivar came from England.
Last edited by Ron B; November 2nd, 2005 at 10:37 PM.
It's reputed to have been "rediscovered" in the town of Sheffield, in western Massachusetts. Which would make it North American in origin. I have seen images, which to my eyes are identical to the one in my garden, labelled 'Sheffield Pink'. I have also seen it identified as C koreana. I am not even sure it's available in the UK. I have not seen it listed in the usual online UK retailers. That might be one reason why you won't see it listed in the RHS Plantfinder - yet.
It's in full bloom right now. And it looked glorious for a while before the current miserable rain caused the lot to flop over. And that, I am afraid, it's one of it's failings.
So 'Hillside Sheffield' is really just a study name - as rosarians call names coined for "found" roses - being used for something that probably already had a proper one. Those using study names should put them in double quotes or do whatever is accepted to make it clear these are study names. Another study name, "Darlow's Enigma" has also become widely used as a correct name ('Darlow's Enigma') for a rose. The study name originated because a vendor (Darlow) had lost the name it was received under.
last summer I purchased dendranthema "hillside pink sheffield" mums from Claude Moore Colonial Farm (county park with a working farm) in Mclean Virginia. This operation sells many plants taken from it's established ones on-site. I had no problems with deer yet this year they have become a delicacy.
I have grown this plant in my garden for many years, having bought the original plant from Alan Haskell's nursery in Bedford, MA as "the Sheffield mum." However, I've recently been told that its name is actually 'Clara Curtis' and indeed, that cultivar brings up many Google hits and pictures of a similar looking plant. Does anyone know if / how the two are related?
I am not sure, Lois. I had a look at those Google images. The one in my pictures, labelled "Sheffield" by the nursery, has a characteristic green centre to the flower. The petals has a 4:1 length:width aspect. They are peachy pink in colour. We may have to compare foliage and growth habit to some any closer to a conclusion.
