Androsace sarmentosa - needs protection?

[Mark Griffiths]

I bought one of these last year meaning to put it out in a trough after flowering but I didn't get around to it.

Having planted out other Androsaces and watched them disappear as a result of winter wet (or perhaps more correctly, winter, spring, summer and autumn wet) I'm wondering if this is best kept in the greenhouse?

[ranunculus]

Hi Mark,
This survives quite well outside in a trough with roots protected under a rock ... it should thrive in your area, too much sun and summer drought being the obvious threats.

[Mark Griffiths]

thanks Cliff, trust me sun isn't a problem 

actually it's a fairly shady spot, I have pink/red saxs doing fine and I know they burn easily.

[Zdenek]

As far as I know there are two "sarmentosas". Our old good one, which is now correctly called A. studiosorum and which is very easy to grow. The other is real A. sarmentosa which according my experience is quit difficult and hates winter wet and summer heat. The difference between them is very small, see The Genus Androsace by Smith and Lowe. The best distinguishing feature by my oppinion is this one: The sarmentosa which grows without any problems for ages and makes large carpets after many years is A. studiosorum. The sarmentosa which often dies is A. studiosorum.

[Mark Griffiths]

thanks for that.

of course if it actually A.studiosorum and it dies as a result of my ham fisted cultivation I will of course claim it was the "true sarmentosa" 


...just looked at the pics on Androsace World - looks like A.studiosorum Yunnan form. Also found a pic

[Jozef Lemmens]

Yes, A. studiosorum is (much) easier in cultivation.
Identification of both species is (quite) easy when you look to the rosettes in winter.
Left is sarmentosa and right is studiosorum.



When they are in flower, turn the flower umbel upside down and look to the bracts.

[Tim Ingram]

I've got very confused about these two androsaces and am grateful to Jozef for his pictures. This is A. studiosorum 'Salmon's Variety' (syn. 'Galmonts Var.') in our sand bed - a really good plant, and the strongest most free-flowering form we grow. 'Chumbyi' is nearly as good but the flowers are substantially smaller. The lovely white 'Doksa' is much slower. This bed is covered in winter but I think in a deep scree they would overwinter well in the open (I've seen 'Doksa' in Alan Furness' garden growing in the coarsest of screes). We've also grown A sarmentosa 'Sherriffii' for many years (ex. Joe Elliott's Broadwell Nursery), but this looks really sad this spring after the wet winter.

[Jozef Lemmens]

A wonderful plant (and sand bed) , Tim

[astragalus]

So is this one Androsace studiosorum?

[Jozef Lemmens]

Yes Anne, I think so.