Elevation here in Klamath Falls, Oregon is 4,200'±, and the plant excells in large open spaces. Some groups are 2-5' in diameter, 12-20"...Read More tall and get watered when it rains. This is an arid, high desert location, with 1-4' snow fall and -0° in winter. Plants go dormant from Oct. thru April, then bust out with the Lupin to look like we are L.A. Laker fans (We aren't) in early Spring. They bloom from May - Sept. and attract Bee's, birds and dragonfly's. We let them self-seed, nature takes it from there. Soil is mild alkaline - mild acidic.
Folk in the USA seem to have a lot of success with this little charmer -- I wish I was as successful.
I grew this plant fr...Read Moreom seed sowed in Spring. The plants grew well and by the winter had formed neat 'cushions' of greyish green foliage about 18" across. Some did not survive the winter wet, but the survivors produced masses of yellow flowers from late spring - about one and a half inches across for three or four months.
A happy bright informal plant which would associate well with yuccas, beach asters (Erigeron glaucus) and osteospermums. It will not usually flower from seed in its first year.
None of the plants survived the following winter. In the UK these plants are very prone to winter wet and need perfect surface drainage. I noticed how the lower leaves started to rot in the fall. I can grow Osteospermums and most xerophytes, but not this one! As they grow well even in very wet areas of the north west US.(Washington State even!) they can obviously survive wet conditions but need stony poor soil, preferably sloping south. In any case plants are rather short-lived.
In the UK, Grow them as if they were cacti and you may be successful.
Many different forms exist - leucophyllum comes from the furthest north, and would probably be the best to try in cold areas. Grandiflora with 2" flowers must be really worth growing!
Update -- trying them again, planted in almost pure gravel.
This is our second year with this beautiful perennial in our full sun Chicago border. My sister gave it to us after she acquired it as a ...Read Moreseedling at a "plant trade" and we thought it was a Stachys byzantina (lamb's ear-but the taller variety). It did not bloom the first year, but did not spread out like lamb's ear. Then all of a sudden in the middle of the second Spring these beautiful yellow bursts sprung from the plant and began to bloom. Its flowers were very dramatic.The flowering season for us lasted April thru early September using a very rich commercial soil covered with wood chips to retain moisture. I would recommend this plant to anyone with a sunny spot where you need a little color-YELLOW !!!
I have one growing in 4b... it seems to have found a niche in which it will survive. It has never bloomed, but the foliage is a nice gr...Read Moreay with interesting texture.
The slightly sprawling 6-8-inch plants produce hundreds of 1-inch yellow daisies from the middle of May through the end of June. As summ...Read Moreer heat builds, the foliage begins to take on it characteristic "dusty" look.
Overhead watering or high humidity will result in greener foliage and cause plants to melt out.
Elevation here in Klamath Falls, Oregon is 4,200'±, and the plant excells in large open spaces. Some groups are 2-5' in diameter, 12-20"...Read More
Folk in the USA seem to have a lot of success with this little charmer -- I wish I was as successful.
I grew this plant fr...Read More
This is our second year with this beautiful perennial in our full sun Chicago border. My sister gave it to us after she acquired it as a ...Read More
Indigenous to Whiskeytown National Park; observed along road approaching Whiskeytown Dam and shady areas near Whiskeytown Cemetery.
I have one growing in 4b... it seems to have found a niche in which it will survive. It has never bloomed, but the foliage is a nice gr...Read More
The slightly sprawling 6-8-inch plants produce hundreds of 1-inch yellow daisies from the middle of May through the end of June. As summ...Read More