Pulsatilla 2015

[Tim Ingram]

Really nice to see that form of P. rubra Greenspan, and where it occurs. Grey-Wilson suggests that the cultivar 'Eva Constance' derives from P. rubra, but these darker forms are remarkable and would be very interesting to grow.

[Maggi Young]

a quite small type of Pulsatilla rubra  this very dark form is called Pulsatilla rubra var. rubra f. nigella and is endemic in a small area nearby the village Rix/France. hight at the moment 10-11 cm (bracts), flower diameter 3 cm, flower tubular facing upwards when starting to flower, then sidewards bowl-shaped, not nodding (till now). some more buds will flower the next days, if weather stay warm.

Fabulous colour!  Dark Velvet plus a sheen = Wonderful!

[Philip Walker]

Pulsatilla violacaea
Pulsatilla vulgaris
and in tufa

[Steve Garvie]

Pulsatilla albana

[krisderaeymaeker]

Pulsatilla albana

Fantastic picture once again Steve.

[Rimmer de Vries]

I need help to identify this nice bell flowered Pulsatilla blooming now.  about 12-13 inches tall
These were grows in a flat of seed from various seed ex. and got all mixed up.

Any idea on ID? 

Thank you

[Gabriel B]

I have a general question about identifying pasqueflowers. How do you tell Pulsatilla vulgaris (Anemone pulsatilla) from Pulsatilla patens (Anemone patens)? As I understand it, there are several different flower colors of each species. Here in Minnesota, we have Pulsatilla patens var. multifida growing in the wild, and it usually has sepals with lavender backs and white fronts (http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/american-pasqueflower). But I have seen pictures of European Pulsatilla patens with darker purple flowers, and the same flower color on the Illinois Wildflowers site (http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pasqueflower.htm).

So what's the difference between the two species? The difference doesn't seem to be flower color, since both species sometimes have purple flowers. I suspect there's a leaf shape difference, in which Pulsatilla patens leaves are more palmate and Pulsatilla vulgaris leaves are longer, but I don't know Pulsatilla species well enough to know if I'm right. I'd include a picture if I had one...

The reason for this question is that the Friends School Plant Sale here in Minnesota is selling Pulsatilla patens, but some people think it might actually be Pulsatilla vulgaris. So, I wanted to ask rock garden people, who might grow or otherwise know both species, how you tell the two species apart.

[Lori S.]

One difference is that Pulsatilla patens blooms before any leaves emerge, while leaves and flowers are simultaneous on P. vulgaris, as shown by the photos below.

P. patens - note no leaves; these photos also show the usual colour across the Canadian prairies (Sask. and Alberta; can't speak about Manitoba, or further east across its range outside the "Prairies"), and up into the Alberta foothills, sort of a pale lilac.
 

An early season P. vulgaris - note leaves present at blooming:



P.S.  And, by the way, I'd say the plants shown on the Illinois Wildflowers site (http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pasqueflower.htm) are P. vulgaris; also note that they're photographed in someone's garden... which is awfully feeble for a wildflowers site.      But let's see what the Pulsatilla experts here say.

[Gabriel B]

Hmm, interesting: if flowers before leaves is the distinguishing characteristic of patens, the Illinois Wildflowers photos certainly show vulgaris.

The color of Pulsatilla patens that you have is the same color we have here.

Hope to hear from others.

[Lori S.]

Hmm, interesting: if flowers before leaves is the distinguishing characteristic of patens, the Illinois Wildflowers photos certainly show vulgaris.

Not the only one, but an obvious one.

[alanelliott]

Not the only one, but an obvious one.

An issue with P. vulgaris in cultivation in the UK (not sure about US) is that it is most likely "something else" a series of crosses and back crosses of different but closely related species to P. vulgaris....so if what you have being sold as P. vulgaris doesnt quite 'fit', it might be because it is a hybrid of garden origin.

My favourite glib Botanical comment....
You know what they say about Ranunculaceae?
It makes a good species.

[Tim Ingram]

The leaves of patens and vulgaris are certainly very different as you say - the former distinctly palmate (I only have this picture of leaves of the American patens on the left with vernalis on the right taken in January - must take another to compare now with other species). In the UK patens is hardly grown - and not so easy -  but there is plenty of confusion about pulsatillas in general which is a pretty good reason to grow more of them and obtain true wild collected seed, as well as the fact that they are such great plants!

[greenspan]

@rimmer

my first thought was + it is said the first thought is always the best thought that your photos show a very nice form of Pulsatilla ambigua. 2 features, why i came to this conclusion...the reflexing sepals + the biternate leaves. see also these ambigua photos on plantarium.ru for comparison.

@Lori

wonderful photos of P. patens. i still miss patens here in my garden. got a lot of seed from usa but nothing germinated (guess it was old seed). btw...i thought exactly the same, when checking the illinois wild flower website...looks like vulgaris + a bit strange to show garden plants on a website about wildflowers. 

btw ...some photos about some Pulsatilla in my garden...flowering ended already of course

the first one was Pulsatilla vulgaris var. oenipontana (end of march), an endemic vulgaris-variety from the area around innsbruck/austria. got it as seedlings from the german nursery arktisch-alpiner-garten. planted in calcareous soil


another interesting vulgaris variety is Pulsatilla vulgaris var. costeana, an endemic form of the french calcareous high plateau Causse de Sauveterre (found near the village Mende). the finder, who gave me this plant, thought he had found P. rubra var. rubra f. serotina which is native in the same area. P. vulgaris var. costeana is a quite dark flowering variety, especially when the buds open. the color fades out to more violet while flowering
   

Pulsatilla rubra var. rubra f. nigella, a form which is endemic in a small area around the village Rix/France on the calcareous hills above the Rhône valley. this form is quite small, about 10-12 cm high. the flowering was short because i hand pollinated them as soon they opened their flowers...that's why the pollen "contamination", what does no harm to their beauty + my "bee" activities seem to be successful
 

[greenspan]

an acid soil lover Pulsatilla alpina ssp. apiifolia, sowed in august 2012, this seedling flowered now in may 2015, peat soil with sandy grit + lava, watering from time to time with acid water plus some fluid fertilizer for ericaceae plants (rain water plus some vinegar -> ph~3,5)

 

[Rimmer de Vries]

@rimmer

my first thought was + it is said the first thought is always the best thought that your photos show a very nice form of Pulsatilla ambigua. 2 features, why i came to this conclusion...the reflexing sepals + the biternate leaves. see also these ambigua photos on plantarium.ru for comparison.

Thank you very much Greenspan.

that may be it!  Thank you.
I found a tag in the original tray as Pulsatilla ambigua 882- seed started 5 March 2012.  so this is very likely the name.
 Not sure of the source, it does not match any seed ex lists i have for 2011/12 year.