So I went a little wild last week ordering odd things, like Nashville Breadroot (Pediomelum subacaule), and Petrorhagia saxifraga 'Lady Mary' from Lazy SS Farm.
Has anyone grown these? Any advice? Weerobin- I see the only photo of 'Lady Mary' is from you. Do you have one or are you just a paparazzi with a telephoto lens?
Petrorhagia saxifraga 'Lady Mary'
I had to look it up because I just put in an order with Lazy S and was afraid I'd missed something I didn't know yet I would need, lol. It looks absolutely charming. At the moment I'm trying to find solutions for other kinds of areas, so will pass for now. I will watch this thread, though, and keep it in mind for the future. I hope you have great success with it!
I've had Petrorhagia saxifraga for a long time - small plant with almost thread-like stems and tiny flowers. I like it, though it doesn't really stand out in the least. i wonder if the flowers are any larger on this double-flowered cultivar?
The double flowers are still super tiny. The picture is as close up as my camera gets.
As Alta says, the foliage is wispy & grasslike. I have to keep a cage around it to remind me not to pull it, otherwise looks like a grassy weed. My plant is young enough I'm still evaluating whether it will remain a wimpy imitation of a weed or get fuller & develop into a nice plant.
My petrorhagia experiment is a consequence of my recent interest in seeing if any traditional rock garden plants can adapt & survive in Midwest conditions. It's amusing seeing how 'alpines' handle our heat & humidity. As you might imaging, more failures than success, but there appear to be some stalwarts which are adapting OK. It will take a few more years to see if any actually thrive beyond simply surviving. I enjoy the contest. My petrorhagia has done fine for 2 years, but so far just 'creeping'; we'll see if it does any 'leaping' next year.
It may be technically a plant from alpine elevations (can't find much about it except sales info which is not what I'm looking for) but it doesn't require any special conditions, i.e. drainage, as plants specifically chosen for alpine/rock gardens normally would. It seems it's said to be a "rock garden plant" just because it's small. Mine hasn't "leapt" in close to 15 years; it's tap-rooted so it only spreads a little by seed.
Thanks, this is helpful. I put a metal label in front of it so hopefully next spring I won't accidentally weed it out. Interesting it's tap-rooted, I think I put it in a particularly nice spot...
I will add some photos once it gets established, likely next year. The picture in Lazy SS catalog made it look like a puffy cloud of pink flowers over thick but wispy foliage.