Lewisia nevadensis syn. bernardina

[David Nicholson]

I wonder if anyone is growing Lewisia nevadensis syn. bernardina with more success than I am having? I have had the plant for two seasons, it didn't flower last year and I can't see any buds this year, other than that it seems fairly healthy (see picture below when it needed a drink).

Having gone through, in detail, the descriptions of the plant in 'Lewisias' by Roy Davidson and 'The Genus Lewisia' by Brian Mathew I am fairly certain my plant is what it says on the label. The plant is deciduous and was re-potted in late February when the first bits of green appeared from the grit topping. Any advice would be appreciated.

[hadacekf]

David,
Lewisia nevadensis is one of the easiest of the summer-dormant species. My plants are now dormant! I see only the dry leaves. This one can tolerate wetter soils than any other lewisia species. I think you have a plant that does not flower. This happen often by the lewisias

[Lesley Cox]

Put it in the garden David, and see what happens. It does like to be reasonably moist when in leaf. Then dies back to a thick, tuberous root, not unlike a small parsnip.

[TC]

I wonder if anyone is growing Lewisia nevadensis syn. bernardina with more success than I am having? I have had the plant for two seasons, it didn't flower last year and I can't see any buds this year, other than that it seems fairly healthy (see picture below when it needed a drink).

Having gone through, in detail, the descriptions of the plant in 'Lewisias' by Roy Davidson and 'The Genus Lewisia' by Brian Mathew I am fairly certain my plant is what it says on the label. The plant is deciduous and was re-potted in late February when the first bits of green appeared from the grit topping. Any advice would be appreciated.


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I have mine out in the garden and they self seed all over the place.  For me, they are the only Lewisia that I can plant and forget about regardless of the weather.  They are more bother keeping in a pot with all the attendant problems of watering.  I have even thrown out what I thought were empty pots into the garden to find a Lewisia growing happily and flowering the next spring.

[David Nicholson]

Many thanks to Lesley, Franz and Tom. That's settled it, my plant goes in the garden and takes its chance-flower or die!

[gote]

I once was very sucessful with various deciduos Lewisias - until the mice had them all.
I planted in a frame  1*1.5m in a slight slope in a gritty soil with some old farmyard manure and topdressed with about a cm of clean grit.
as soon as flowering was over I put on the glass lid and did not open again until the spring when they had again started.
Unfortunately mice found their way in through the ventilation.
It seems that they are gross feeders but want aerated soil.
Göte 

[David Nicholson]

I once was very sucessful with various deciduos Lewisias - until the mice had them all.
I planted in a frame  1*1.5m in a slight slope in a gritty soil with some old farmyard manure and topdressed with about a cm of clean grit.
as soon as flowering was over I put on the glass lid and did not open again until the spring when they had again started.
Unfortunately mice found their way in through the ventilation.
It seems that they are gross feeders but want aerated soil.
Göte 

Gote, did you mean the mice were gross feeders or the Lewisias, or both? My Lewisia nevadensis syn. bernardina is now consigned to one of my raised beds and if it doesn't flower next year then its next move is to the compost bin!

[gote]

BOTH!
Göte.

PS
If you really want them on the compost heap send them to me instead. A different climate might do the trick.
I can send you a small bag of compost in return.
Göte