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Maltese Cross
Guernsey Donkey2
Posts: 6,713
in Plants
Can someone tell me if it is easier to grow this plant from seed (if available at our GC) or to buy an actual plant, it is such a pretty and striking plant.
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You can try either solution. They do grow easily from seed but if you can get hold of a plant then you can collect your own seed for propagation.
I grew mine from seed with no difficulty and it will flower the year after sowing,
Thanks, both your answers are helpful, is it a perennial, does it die down in the winter or does it re-seed and start again?
It's a perennial and pretty easy to care for. All I do for mine is add some manure in the spring to the border it's in and support it when flowering. The stems tend to flop at the base and then break, but with support it lasts ages.
Lychnis chalcedonica is a perennial. This is the one that is shown in your picture.
It dies down in the winter and regrows in spring. Mine doesn't self-seed, but it might in the right conditions - I have clay soil.
I bought mine in 10cm pots a couple of years ago and they were much admired last June when in full flower so I cut them half back in August so I could collect the seeds to share with friends who had admired it and by early October there were new flowers showing.
I sowed some seed fresh and had very high germiation rates so lots of new babies for my borders and for friends and they should flower later this summer.
Brilliant plant and very easy to grow and care for. I have very fertile alkaline loam soil and mine are in a mixed perennial bed that gets no sun till late March. I cut down their spent growth in late autumn and add some home grown garden compost if I have some spare. Chicken pellets in spring.
Thanks for all your helpful replies, I will definitely be looking out for a plant or packet of seed. My only concern is the flopping of the stem - the one shown wasn't flopping or supported, but perhaps it was in a sheltered position - I can't remember how the location was situated although there were other plants surrounding it.
Mine don't flop.
Perhaps they only flop it they are allowed to grow too tall - do you have to nip them to help them to produce more flowers or to make bushier plants? That's just my take on stopping plants from becoming floppy although if you saw some of my Rudbeckias you would realize that I don't always remember to practise this theory as they are far too tall and fighting against the wind to stand upright!