A Serissa Forest

by Carl L. Rosner
(Margate City, NJ)

Living in Zone 6/7 I made a bold move when I decided that my Serissa did not like the warmth of my Tree house (green house to most).

The Serissa seemed to like the cooler temperatures, and about eight years ago, I decided to place my Serissa forest outdoors in my flowerbed for the winter. I had read somewhere that there are places in the cooler climates that use the Serissa as a hedge. Hmmm I thought!

We have mild winters in Southern New Jersey, but there are always cold snaps when the temperatures drop down into the single digits for a few days. Nothing-ventured etc….

I was dumbfounded by the results after my first year of the Serissa in the ground during the winter. When I dug it up I wasn’t even sure it was still alive, but the leaves developed quickly. The forest burst into more flowers than I had seen in the years prior, and I have been burying my Serissa in the ground ever since.

This forest is no longer in my possession so I am unable to give you dimensions, but I still have the pot, which measures 13 inches wide by 11 inches deep and 3.75 inches high.

I do have another Serissa, which I call Serissa Mountain, which I dug up on March 15th of this year (2010), and when it blooms, I will be happy to send a picture here on Mary’s web site.