Hegemone lilacina seed

[Ulla Hansson]

Does anyone know where I can find seeds of Hegemone lilacina? I have read Holubec, Mojmir Pavelka and Vladislav Piątek different seed lists, but without finding any seeds. Really grateful for help.
Ulla

[Lesley Cox]

I think many people would love to try that gorgeous plant. I believe it's very difficult to grow.

[Darren]

Wish I could help Ulla. I had seed of this from the Archibalds several years ago (they no longer list it). It germinated well and persisted for several years without flowering or even growing very much. They eventually fell prey to slugs as they emerged one spring and were still too small to recover. As Lesley says - it isn't an easy plant here. Perhaps somewhere with reliable cold winters and fewer molluscs it might do OK.

[DaveM]

Me too! It's such a splendid plant, though.........
Image taken on the Chon Ashoo Pass, c 4000 m, Tien Shan Mtns, Kyrgystan.

[Darren]

Stunning Dave. If only we could grow it!

[Ulla Hansson]

So beautiful picture. I still want to try. But it seems very difficult to find seeds.
Ulla

[Olga Bondareva]

Dave
Beautiful photo! I saw only leaves.

very difficult to find seeds.

This plant is not garden only wild. It grows at cold high passes with warm period of 3-4 months. Even in August night temperature could be about 0C at the night and cold rain and snow are possible. Taken to warmer climate Hegemone starts to grow too quick and can not form normal buds. Plants die in 2-3 years.

Where the wild Hegemonas grow... It's August. Tian-Shan.

[Ulla Hansson]

Thanks for all the replies and pictures. I saw a picture of Hegemone few years ago, since then I have tried to find seeds. But I understand now that it is very difficult to cultivate, so I may drop the idea of cultivating Hegemone.
Ulla

[DaveM]

Yes, a great pity that this plant has such a reputation.

We saw it in slightly less damp areas at the edge of snow-melt, at the beginning of July and it was fairly cold at the time if I remember correctly. It was growing with Primula nivalis var colorata (syn P turkestanica) and Ranunculus albertii - definitely an assault of colour!!