prometheum (rosularia) aizoon

[cohan]

just received a cutting of this, from someone in a warmer, wetter climate;
i know some rosularias are supposed to be very hardy, havent yet found any reference to this species..
anyone have experience with it in a cold/dry winter zone ? (z 4 equivalent or colder...)

[Lori S.]

I don't know anything about R. aizoon - except from googling that it's native to Turkey and Armenia.  On that note, though, I thought I would perhaps lend encouragement by mentioning that I planted R. muratdaghenis last year (from the Murat Dag in Turkey) and it has wintered over well.  (Now that it has survived total neglect in unamended clay and half-smothered by bark mulch, and likely stepped on more than once, I may reward it with a move to the rock garden.   )   

[Maggi Young]

Now that it has survived total neglect in unamended clay and half-smothered by bark mulch, and likely stepped on more than once

Lori!    Really we cannot condone such plant cruelty  Isn't your long winter abuse enough for your wee plants?      

[Lori S.]

It's survival of the fittest, here, Maggi.   No namby-pamby alpine houses, or microfoam comforters for the winter in my little plant stalag. 

[Maggi Young]

  

I'll remember to pack extra woolies if I visit, Lori!! 

[Lori S.]

That would be very wise.... we keep a down-filled jacket in the back entryway, at the ready, year-round.... (it's shocking, I know.)   

[Lori S.]

http://www.kadel.cz/flora/e/kvCard.asp-Id=5647.htm

The mention of "scree", as habitat, sounds encouraging... alpine slopes = good chance of sufficient cold hardiness, in my books!

[cohan]

well, winter has come, and sort of gone (we've been above 20C, but snow forecast again tonight!) and this plant is still with me!
i had two pieces, and brought one in, which survived, but etiolated  and uncharacteristic looking--but the one left outside (in a large pot with semps, sunk in the ground over winter) is in great shape--actually looked better when the snow first went off than the semps-and that's after our weird fall which was very warm in aug/sept then suddenly very cold (to -20Cish in oct-native opuntias don't look good, among other things)..the poor indoor brother will be going out once its a bit more stably above 0 out...
i'm very happy about this, since its such a beautiful plant--though tiny i didn't measure, but this clump can't me more than couple cm/ 1inch across..

[cohan]

i just looked at this plant again while i was outside--blowing snow, high 6C today--and realised i overestimated its tininess! the whole clump may actually be 2 inches, 5cm across, lengthwise (the pic doesn't really show that view); much bigger plant

[iann]

Good to know it is that hardy.  I think it is generally considered quite a bit less hardy than Sempervivum.  They come from all over though, so probably some are hardier than others.  A little more succulent than Sempervivum too, I'd say.

[cohan]

this was sent to me by a collector in france, but there was no locality data for the original collection (unlike some of the semps from him, which do have data)..
in any case, its looking good so far--we haven't finished spring freeze/thaw--but semps etc are all looking good, so i think the dicey period is over, and this plant looked great/unchanged from first thaw onwards..
of course, not every winter/spring is the same, so this is only one year survival-but that applies even to natives, not every individual of which survives every year/undamaged!

[cohan]

Good to know it is that hardy.  I think it is generally considered quite a bit less hardy than Sempervivum.  They come from all over though, so probably some are hardier than others.  A little more succulent than Sempervivum too, I'd say.

if its considered less hardy than semp, that's probably a moisture issue.. i think i have seen that comment for rosularias, which would seem to make sense for turkey, although i think the one link lori sent above mentions a damp habitat for this one!