Lewisias
Jane McGary (Wed, 18 May 2005 09:32:18 PDT)

John Ingram wrote,

I would advise not buying Lewisia cotyledon in gallons. These plants have
been aggressively forced for container sale in bloom and rarely relocate
successfully to the garden. If you plant this species when it is quite
small, it will establish well. For example, in my garden in flower now is a
L. cotyledon that I planted 20 years ago when it had only four leaves. It's
growing in a fieldstone dry retaining wall in a crevice, which it has
reshaped over the years to accommodate its SLOWLY increasing size.

The best sources for Lewisia are not bedding plant operations, but alpine
nurseries such as Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery and (for more unusual kinds)
Mt. Tahoma Nursery. Here the plants are grown respectfully, with an eye
toward longevity in the garden.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA