Balcony Garden – Blooming this Week
July 6, 2010 – 10:10 am
This candy-striped little flower is Lewisia cotyledon v. purdyi. It has been in flower for a couple of weeks in an alpine trough. The plant itself has a nice waxy leaf, so I’m optimistic that it might winter-over. As for the flower, I thought that the transition between the two colours would be a little more subtle, not so stripey-looking. Oh well, a beautiful specimen any way to brighten up the trough.
This plant came from Rundle Wood Gardens. As described in the catalogue, the form is rather tight rosettes of short, broadly obovate leaves, earning it the name “button rockrose.” Deep pink to butter-yellow flowers. (Family: Portulacaceae; Native to: Western N. America), likes full sun, well drained soil and will grow to a height of 3 cm (1 inch).