alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[David Nicholson]

Matt, is there more than one leaf shape in that pot?

[Matt T]

Several, David! There are also Celmisias argentea and gracilienta along with a Leptinella and a Luzulla ulophylla or two.

[kris]

Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.

wow!!!

[Leucogenes]

Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.

Absolutely beautifully arranged, Matt.  I'm thrilled.  I had Celmisia bellidioides two years ago.  ...but it went unnoticed by the ants.  What's your experience with Celmisia argentea?  I've never seen it bloom before.

Cheers
Thomas

[David Lyttle]

Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.

Hi Matt
A nice pot of Celmisia bellidioides and C. argentea.  I have not been able to get C. argentea to grow let alone flower.
My C. bellidioides has one flower at present (today) as we are approaching winter.


However Celmisia philocremna has two flowers and some un-opened buds


The only other thing that has any flowers at present is Acrothamnus colensoi

[Matt T]

Absolutely beautifully arranged, Matt.  I'm thrilled.  I had Celmisia bellidioides two years ago.  ...but it went unnoticed by the ants.  What's your experience with Celmisia argentea?  I've never seen it bloom before.

Cheers
Thomas

Thanks Thomas. I like arranging plants in ‘natural’ groups (or what seems natural to me at least) and letting them get in with it.

The C.argentea is growing well but I’ve not had flowers on it. It lives in this pot outside all year round on the east-facing side of the house = sun until noon’ish, protection from the worst of the winds (but not totally), and we’re coastal with a cool, moist maritime climate but no extremes of temperature. 

I’ve had C.sessiliflora in the same pot and it’s flowered reliably in past years, but the last winter storm has all but killed it.

[Matt T]

Hi Matt
A nice pot of Celmisia bellidioides and C. argentea.  I have not been able to get C. argentea to grow let alone flower.

Thanks Dave. I can’t claim any credit, it just happens to like out climate here. Many of the Celmisia do, but not all. The cushion-forming and grassy leaved species do very well. The shrubby and leafier types can be hit by the winter winds but some come back. The more lowland C. mackaui is also doing well. New Zealand plants in general love it here on the Western Isles. We’ve been planting a shelter belt of almost exclusively NZ plants.

[Leucogenes]

Thanks Thomas. I like arranging plants in ‘natural’ groups (or what seems natural to me at least) and letting them get in with it.

The C.argentea is growing well but I’ve not had flowers on it. It lives in this pot outside all year round on the east-facing side of the house = sun until noon’ish, protection from the worst of the winds (but not totally), and we’re coastal with a cool, moist maritime climate but no extremes of temperature. 

I’ve had C.sessiliflora in the same pot and it’s flowered reliably in past years, but the last winter storm has all but killed it.

Thanks, Matt...

Here it is still a small challenge to successfully cultivate native NZ.  The small Celmisia's have never bloomed in my garden.  But my interest is not only in the flowers... that's why I'm also excited about the foliage.  Your climate seems ideal for alpine NZ.  Here the winters can sometimes be too cold for that...because the protecting snow is in short supply.

At the moment Celmisia alanii is in bloom.



David... your photos are magical... as always. 😉

[Lesley Cox]

Matt, that is a wonderful "pot" garden with its flowering and foliage plants growing beautifully. It is exactly what we would like to see in the miniature garden classes in our OAGG Annual Show - but, alas, do not

[Leucogenes]

Here I need an identification... which Pimelea it is.  The leaves are narrower and smaller than Pimelea traversii.

Thanks
Thomas 😎

[David Lyttle]

Here I need an identification... which Pimelea it is.  The leaves are narrower and smaller than Pimelea traversii.

Thanks
Thomas 😎

Hi Thomas,
Identifying Pimeleas is not easy at the best of times, especially if cultivated.  Do you have any information where it came from? I agree it does not look like P. traversii. It could be one of the forms of Pimelea prostrata.

[Leucogenes]

Hi Thomas,
Identifying Pimeleas is not easy at the best of times, especially if cultivated.  Do you have any information where it came from? I agree it does not look like P. traversii. It could be one of the forms of Pimelea prostrata.

Hi David

I thank you for your efforts.  I'm afraid I have no more detailed information on this Pimelea.  Nevertheless, I like her very much.

In the appendix, Craspedia lanata... in the pot.  The small group in the Alpinum also shows some flowers in growth...  but the final result will take some time... 🤞

[Leucogenes]

Last Friday was a particularly good day for me...after years of "asking" I received two beautiful specimens of Leucogenes neglecta from my friend in the Arctic Alpine Garden.  He could successfully propagate this "jewel" by cuttings.

Cheers
Thomas

[hamparstum]

Very beautiful specimens Thomas! I understand and join you!
Arturo

[Leucogenes]

Very beautiful specimens Thomas! I understand and join you!
Arturo

Thanks Aturo...

all four subspecies of Leucogenes are like the holy grail to me.  I had lost all my plants in the last two years.  I hope to have better luck with Leucogenes neglecta.  This subspecies is probably very rare in cultivation.