Lewisias

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Wed, 18 May 2005 09:32:18 PDT
John Ingram wrote,

>I have seens Lewisias at Ralph's and Trader Joes grocery stores in, as you 
>say, "Hollywierd".
>...Here they are about $12.00 for a 1 gal. but at home at Trader Joes, 
>I've seen them for $7 or $8 for a 4" in full bloom.


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






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