plants for lime

[WimB]

Hello,

I've started planting a very small trough with very limey soil in shade and the only plant I have put in is Polygala calcarea "lillet". Now I'm searching for bulbs of Trillium nivale and rivale to put in? Anybody know where I can get them?

Also I need two more plants to put in there. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Wim

[Maggi Young]

Wim if you find a good source for bulbs of Trillium nivale, please let me know!!

As to T. rivale we find that it is quite happy here in an acid soil 

What about a very small bearded iris?

[WimB]

So, no T. rivale in limey soil??

I have a lot of small bearded irises already but I know of no species that likes living in the shade.

[Giles]

Dear Wim,
They've got T.rivale seeds at B and T World Seeds.
Giles

[WimB]

Hello Giles,

I'm looking for bulbs... I still have some seeds from 2007 I have to wait for to germinate and I really would like a bulb so I can look at a flower next year 

[WimB]

No more suggestions for small rock garden plants that can grow in shady limey soil?

[Lesley Cox]

Small Saxifraga spp? Ramonda spp? Some of the smaller European primulas?

[WimB]

Which kind of small primulas (except for auriculas) would like limey soil?

Thanks

Wim

[David Nicholson]

P. marginata for one, but most of the species in the Auriculastrum section either tolerate or welcome lime.

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, that's what I was thinking too. You could try PP. glutinosa, latifolia, glaucesens, integrifolia, daonensis, minima, glutinosa etc etc.

[Katherine J]

I don't think PP. glutinosa and daonensis like lime. I have NEVER seen them on limestone until now, only on granitic and silicate rocks.

[Giles]

P.glutinosa......'It abhors lime'
P.daonensis.....'Confined to acidic rocks'
(Primulas, John Richards (2002))

[Lesley Cox]

But both grow in one of my limestone troughs and there is loose or free lime in these as they tend to crumble at the edges with frost and the crumbly bits get dug in as I weed. But..... I'm not about to argue with Richards.

[Cephalotus]

Primula minima is for sure not for a limey soil. Once I was accidentally growing this species with some lime in the soil and I was always wondering why it is doing so poor. Never ever give this species any amounts of lime. It grows on acid soil.

Wim, I know that Primula farinosa and halleri are growing on limey soil. As I heard they grow much better not in full sun, but a bit of shade and moist soil. They should produce multirosetted clumps and so is mine P. farinosa doing. I put my P. hallery in full sun but according to that it should also do well in shade.

Also Swertia perennis like limey soil and definitely shade. Veronica aphylla, a great plants to shade and on lime. In full sun it grows bigger and faster, but in shade its flowers last much longer. Also to full shade you can plant Soldanella capratica. I read, that it is growing on all types of soil. Cortusa matthioli too... That are all species I can think about now.

[WimB]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I already planted it with Polygala calcarea 'lillet', Primula farinosa and Primula latifolia.
Now I'm still waiting for my order of Trillium nivale. And maybe that Soldanella capratica is a good idea... if I can find it anywhere!