ALPINES > LEWISIA
IN THIS GUIDE
From the bang-up minuscule rose window of ribbon - similar leaves come out taller flowering angry walk on Lewisia , a compact evergreen , and what pretty peak those stalks hold !
These flowers feature piddling ace - similar blooms with silky petals in tones of pink , violet and orange , with elegant streaks and flushes across the petals .
genus Lewisia produce a cornucopia of delicious , small-scale , funnel shape - shaped , star - like flowers with silken petal in radiant hues , each petal displaying longitudinal streaks , bands , flushes or other colouration .
Overview
PreferredFull Sunday
ExposureExposed or shelter
Height0.1 – 0.3 metre
Lewisia cotyledon‘Little Plum’
Spread0.1 – 0.4 M
Bloom TimeMay to September
PreferredSand or chalk
MoistureWell - drained
pHAcidic
Though these blossom truly have a graceful , refined flavour about them , no - fuss Lewisia produce in hardscrabble habitats which intend that you do n’t need to worry yourself too much about fertile dirt , feeding , or even watering.1Lewisia cotyledon . ( n.d . ) . Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – University of Texas at Austin . Retrieved August 3 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LECO5
you’re able to take advantage of this fact and the plant ’s small size to bring pebbly , sandlike patch to life and to fill odd crevices and gob in or on walls .
The plant also has a kempt habit quite like lilies , as the ribbon and shoulder strap - similar leave of absence , from minute to broad , develop in a neat rosette over which taller stalks expose those appeal little blooms .
Plant these versatile small perennial in a bed , pot , rock garden or cranny .
Lewisia cotyledon‘Little Plum’
How To Grow Lewisia
Lewisias must have very well - draining soil that is moderately fertile , though not too - rich for the best results .
Take a fundament of crushed rock , guts and Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin and ameliorate it with humus and ericaceous organic compost in a very button-down ratio , and you ’ll have the ideal spiritualist for this works .
If any of the first three components are in short supply , bestow perlite instead .
For such plant , I lay pebble at the bottom - most level to be certain that subsided urine drains .
I would also make a top layer of pebbles and crushed rock ; this will suit this works very well as it will offer protective cover from crown rot .
Lewisia should be position in full sun , specially in the UK , for optimum health and flowering .
First off , Lewisias must be protected from slopped conditions in the wintertime .
Also , they are very compact and their habit and form make them complete for standard half - conical pots .
So , if you plant Lewisias in pots , they are virtually winter - proofed already , as you’re able to careen pots to somewhere they will have a cap over their heads , such as a porch or covered terrace .
“ I process Lewisia like succulent as they have the same leeway of ironical trance and susceptibility to wet root conditions , ” divvy up Colin Skelly , a Horticultural Consultant .
“ Soil in pots can easily be accommodate to speculate the free - draining , alpine atmospheric condition Lewisia evolve in . ”
As for open - primer planting , this may be done sometime after the last Robert Frost and after the soil has warmed up .
May is ideal .
When transplanting , make sealed that only the root tip is below the soil as you backfill the hole .
Also , set the plant at the same tier it was in the pot and no dispirited .
If you plant Lewisias in crevices and holes in wall , make sureto add some ericaceous compostto the medium you prepare just in case the native sensitive is too Citrus aurantifolia - centric and alkaline .
Lewisia Plant Care
Young and grow Lewisia industrial plant must be water regularly during the growing season , particularly in spring and autumn .
During spring , water doubly a week depending on the weather condition , but make trusted that excess pee can always drain aside .
Established Lewisias are actually drought - tolerant , so mature plant will not be unduly affected if a duad of tearing session are missed .
In fact , underwatering will not harm Lewisias , but overwatering will .
Water demand are greatly reduce during the winter and during summer dormancy .
Lewisias do not need to be fertilised , so that ’s another gardening task you could disregard .
Of course , they will perform better if they are fertilised correctly , but over - fertilising will spite or even kill these plants .
Feed monthly from April to July , diluting the fertiliser to only about 25 - 30 % of the recommended strength and volume .
Pour the solvent away from the top and water system it in .
You may deadhead spend blooms on a continuing basis to boost fresh peak and prolong blossoming .
Lewisia is not exactly well-off to grow from seed and can take anything from one calendar month to one year to sprout .
If you wish well to spud seeds indoors in autumn , they will have to be stratify by being submit to a cold period .
cum should be place in the fridge for a couple of months and then direct sown in spring .
Sow densely in a seed - start mixing amended with penetrating backbone .
Simply nudge seeds into the medium . Do not get over them .
Keep the intermediate endlessly moist until sprouting .
As Lewisias produce offsets over fourth dimension , you may also propagate them this path and it is more convenient and easier than seed and germinating those grouchy seeds .
Any time in June , simply dig up an offset without vex the mother works , flawlessly slicing through any undersoil tissue that may connect the industrial plant and the setoff .
Replant the runner in exactly the same type of grime and to the same depth and urine it in .
The main pest that can affect Lewisias are snails , slugs and aphid .
Although aphids can become a serious worry if not undertake early on on , none of these three pest are too unmanageable to control .
The real trouble with Lewisias is their susceptibility to steady down and cap rot , which is unremarkably due to human wrongdoing .
These conditions are surd to notice in their early stages and often result in the death of the plant life .
Prevent these diseases in the first place by pay care to the growing average and watering practices and by guard against winter wet .
Commonly Grown Types
raise comparatively prominent flowers at 4 - 6 curium wide that are in restrained , soft shades of yellow , peach , cream and white-hot , with flower petal showing fine longitudinal graduation .
The plant is about 20 centimeter marvellous and is another RHS Award of Garden Merit victor .
originate to about 20 cm tall with a slimly bang-up banquet , produce heyday that are 2 - 2.5 cm wide .
They occur in tones of orange , sensationalistic and red , whilst the petals exhibit very fine longitudinal grade and banding .
This is a recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit .
As its name indicates , this is the babe of the family and has a height and spread of under 10 centimetre !
Its flowers are only about 1.5 atomic number 96 wide and occur in copious tone of pink , regal and red .
grow to about 12 cm tall with a slenderly bigger feast .
The relativelylarge blossom are a rich tone of yellow .
A cracking new cultivar which is democratic for good grounds , as it starts blooming before and uphold after summer , with the long blooming time of year among Lewisias .
The colours include yellowness , pinks , reds and orange in fruity tones with petals embellish with ransack and picotee .
This cultivar grows to about 25 cm tall with a slightly bigger spread .
