Cyananthus lobatus

[johnw]

I flew into St. John's, Newfoundland at midnight last night in very dense fog, flights had been cancelled all day long.  In the botanical garden at noonish we came across Cyananthus lobatus of which I know nothing. A friend wondered if it roots as it touches the ground, how to propagate it and its cultural requirements.  It is certainly a fresh looking mound.  Returning home this afternoon at 11c the fog suddenly rolled out just as our incoming flight landed and then promptly came back in so we were able to take off and home by suppertime. Here 23c and finally sunshine.  The rest of the east is sweltering with Toronto at 35c and with the humidity feeeling like 43c.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Cyananthus lobatus is a real gem, a gorgeous plant and if you have a chance to get it, or a few cuttings (at this time of year) do so. It has large blue flowers and is happy where small primulas, rhodos etc are happy, cool, damp and humusy, with grit. It is late summer flowering and will set seed but never much, for me at least, and I lost mine a few years ago. It grows from a central mass of stems but they will gradually extend outwards and underground and can be removed well into the clump/mat, to make cuttings. Otherwise, tip cuttings root without much difficuolty.

Cyananthus integer is equally fine and C.microphyllus too, and C, longiflorus ever better, but tricky. There's a yellow from a Chadwell collection also well worth growing but not so good, in my opinion, as the blues. (C. longiflorus is deep violet.) There's a white form of C. lobatus at least, not the others so far as I know.

[johnw]

Thanks so much Lesley. It sounds delightful.  I will pass this information along and perhaps the BG will let us take a few tiny cuttings on the next trip.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

You need to take the cuttings before the buds form, or failing that, nip out the buds when you put the cuttings in.