Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Cultivation => Cultivation Problems => Topic started by: WimB on June 15, 2009, 08:09:48 PM
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I've been offered some seeds of Cremanthodium rhodocephalum (?) and another unknown Cremanthodium with yellow flowers.
I said I would like them but I've never grown these before. Does anyone here have any pointers regarding it's cultivation?
Do they need shady or sunny conditions? Do they grow best in a swamp or in a leaf-mould soil or on a rockery? What's the best way to sow them?
Wim
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Wim, the best Cremanthodiums I have heard of in captivity are grown at Tromso Botanic Gardens in far northern Norway. ;D That should give you a bit of a clue.
Most references to them in the Forum have been about identifying species. There is a plant portrait in the main SRGC site by Fred Carrie.... this may be of help to you....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/pport/Cremell.html
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Thanks Maggi, never tought I would hear myself say this, but it looks like it's going to be too warm in Belgium ;D ;D :P for growing Cremanthodium. Nevertheless, I'll try it, you never know...
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Can't hurt to try when you have the offer of seeds, Wim. At least you can try to give them as cool a spot as possible...I hope in a year or two you can show us fields full of Belgian cremanthodium ;D ;) 8)
I am coming more and more to the realisation over the last few years that our Aberdeen garden can be too warm for primulas......there are lots of tricky changes out there :-\
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Wim,
Some of the Cremanthodium seedlings die down soon after they germinate, they are not dead just sleeping until the next year so don't throw them out. Some of the larger ones are not as difficult as people say (here anyway)
Susan
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I got some "cremanthodium arnicoides" from the 07/08 AGS seedex, sown at the start of April 2008, one clump of three plants is now about three feet high and flowering.
I originally thought this might contribute to this thread, but I'm wondering if the plant is actually what it said on the packet?
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Hi David,
your plant isn't Cremanthodium arnicoides. It looks like a plant I've seen before but I don't remember the name (maybe somewhere in the genus Arnica?).
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I agree that plant is not Cremathodium arnicoides. In general I often find Cremathodiums hard to identify, and I also think they hybridize in the garden. But they are easy to grow here up north.
C. rhodocephalum certainy needs growing place which never dries out.
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Magnar, Wim, thank you for your comments.
I had been wondering why I had got the seeds and planted the things where I did - now I know. Whatever it is, it is a rough looking plant.
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David,
the plant it reminds me of is Centaurea macrocephala but it probably isn't.
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Some huge Inula perhaps?
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Luit,
it's very similar to Inula helenium indeed.
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it's very similar to Inula helenium indeed.
I think you might be right there. It's got the stem clasping leaves...
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it's very similar to Inula helenium indeed.
I think you might be right there. It's got the stem clasping leaves...
It's a nice plant too but no Cremanthodium, it's very usefull though: you can make absinthe with it ;) and recent research has found out that an extract of this plant can kill "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (= one of the hospital-bacteria)
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Came across this thread just now - Wim did you have any success with your Cremanthodiums? I have a few seedlings and would welcome any advice (other than moving to the Arctic Circle)
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Centaurea flowers smell strongly of honey. Mine are not showing yet. Inula helenium grows at an Abbey near here. It is a long time since I went there. Inula is a very robust plant. I will see if I can find a slide of it.
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Inula helenium. One of the herbs used by monks. img. file 0001.
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Came across this thread just now - Wim did you have any success with your Cremanthodiums? I have a few seedlings and would welcome any advice (other than moving to the Arctic Circle)
Though moving to the Arctic Circle ( or the Himalayas) would indeed be one of the best solutions to grow Cremanthodiums ;) , their cultivation in less advantaged climates is still possible.
Most of them will appreciate a deep humus rich soil which never dries out ( or maybe during winter?...), but which also won't keep excessive water during the very wet spells. In summer this wouldn't be a problem at all, as long as the water can flow away when the rain stops.
What I know is that C.helianthus for example doesn't need much more moisture than necessary. It thrives well in a surelevated position in the rockbed, only providing enough watering when really needed. It even perished in places with soil driyng out slower.
C.arnicoides and C.nepalense seem to prefer that kind of environment, however with more watering ( for C.arnicoices, with these huge greedy leaves). C.arnicoides also died in soils remaining moist too long.
The other C. I have tried can grow in more moist soil-conditions: C.ellisii, C.pleurocaule (syn.Ligularia pleurocaulis), C.delavayi.
For C.rhodocephalum, I still have to find the right place ( if still possible). Obviously, it likes a moister place too, and didn't do well at all last summer, when we had that really warm weather for long weeks.
And there are the others I lost before having had the time to try different conditions.
All these but C.helianthus hate strong sunshine coupled with high temperatures, as the leaves get really soft at day. As long as this weather doesn't last too long or occurs too frequently, that's ok. Otherwise, one has to find a setting where there is some protection from the afternoon sun.
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Thanks Phillippe this is really helpful advice. Our westerly position and altitude means we rarely get temperatures above 25C, so with the right location and some extra water at the right time I am optimistic. My C. rhodocephalum seedlings from the SRGC seed are doing well, others are all quite small still.