Thalictrum
Jane McGary (Mon, 17 Dec 2018 14:59:18 PST)

The new Bulb Garden newsletter arrived today, a great job by Robin as usual.

I was a bit puzzled to see an article on Thalictrum, which most of us
don't think of as a geophyte, but then I found that this genus now
includes the former Anemonella thalictroides, which does have little
tubers and can spread underground in favored conditions (leafy soil,
shade, summer moisture). There is no mention in the article of another
plant I've grown for many years that has both tubers (larger ones that
don't offset) and showy flowers: Thalictrum tuberosum. It's a
Mediterranean species and gets its dry summer dormancy here in Portland,
Oregon, on a raised tufa bed. I haven't managed to raise any more from
seed, though I have 2 clones raised from seed from the Archibalds. It's
a very enjoyable plant, flowering in May or June, with numerous flowers
on branching stems about 30 cm tall, and a tuft of glaucous leaves below
the scapes. Regarding pollination, I've seen bees visiting it. I'll
continue to experiment with seed; I thought it would be best sown fresh,
but maybe it would do better with a period of dry storage before sowing.

Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA

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