Codonopsis

[Véronique Macrelle]

I want to collect the Codonopsis genus.
 I've been sowing what I can find for several years, with varying degrees of success, often using seeds from the srgc exchange.

Emergence is often easy, but then getting them to develop is sometimes difficult over the long term.
Maybe that's because I don't have enough information about how they live.
  This year I managed to get quite a few species
including this Codonopsis gracilis. It has beautiful foliage!
I only have one because most of the seeds were crushed in transit.


Does anyone have any information about it?
 It's already 20 cm high and wide, so could it flower this year?

[Véronique Macrelle]

This is a 3-year-old Codonopsis kawakami, grown in pots outside or in the greenhouse, depending on the season.  I often have this problem of yellowing leaves, but I can't find the reason for it. Last year, it stopped its growth cycle after just 1 flower... this year I'm hoping to get a few seeds so I can grow several plants. Then I'll test it in the ground.
 
 Many other species, climbing or not, easily get chlorosis... why? Too acid a soil?

[Véronique Macrelle]

in order sur la photo :
 Codonopsis ovata, Codonospis cardiophylla and Codonopsis obtusa...
 they are similar, but with slight differences in the foliage. sown in March: can I expect them to flower this year?
C. obtusa is 1 specimen, and I'm always worried about getting to winter without seeds...

[Véronique Macrelle]

I was particularly pleased to find Codonopsis rotundifolia seeds this year at the srgc exchange.
a successful sowing as I have about twenty seedlings.
 I have already had this species flower, or at least a plant called Codonopsis rotundifolia var grandiflora.

It's really extra and its colour varies according to the individual, which I also like.
 she's the one that got me interested in Codonopsis in general. I did a little post on it

https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18204.msg417310#msg417310


I know that these plants will remain at the juvenile stage this year. I've put them in a large window box so that they can develop their "carrot" to the maximum.

a bit of chlorosis here too, at times...
 the seedling on the bottom right is a companion plant, a seedling of Caiophora lateritia, sown in March: I'm testing it a bit everywhere because here again, I want to see it flower, but I don't know much about growing it.

[Véronique Macrelle]

I have tried sowing Codonopsis subscaposa at least 3 times. I have kept the plants for a maximum of 2 years.
This species remains a mystery to me. I also have a bad habit of over-watering them.

 This species is slow to grow. This year I've got better growth, perhaps because I sowed them at the end of March rather than in January (when we used to get our seeds earlier in Europe).
 On the other hand, in my memory, they seemed to produce a basal rosette, whereas here they're clearly showing a stem... for an idea of size, they're in 5 cm pots (patience! )

[Carolyn]

Veronique,
Have you seen the website woodlandsplants.co.uk? Bob and Ann hold the national collection of codonopsis and have some very useful information on the website.
I have some problems growing codonopsis too - the biggest problem this year is the slugs eating the seedlings.

[Véronique Macrelle]

Thank you Carolyne, I notice it has been redone. Unfortunately now the Brexit is preventing me from ordering it...


I've tackled the convovulacea group at least 5 times (starting from seeds), it's so small at first.
The small tubers often have trouble withstanding the winter, although now I've got a few plants from the previous year in bud.
 I'm also starting to get the hang of sowing, and I've got bigger plants from seed this year (Codonopsis grey-wilsonii) 
I can't wait to see that first flower! below Codonopsis forrestii:this is a plant from seed in its 3rd season. last year it finished growing before flowering...

I'm keeping them in the greenhouse for the time being, as my attempts to put them outside have been frustrated by slugs.


I also found a pot in which 2 tubers had lain dormant: healthy, but not growing; curious.

[Véronique Macrelle]

That's it!
I finally see a flower of this very desirable Codonopsis.
 While the label says Codonopsis forrestii, the purple ring seems to indicate a Codonopsis grey-wilsonii, according to Yuan-Hong's book on codo. The fluffy details of the flower are incredible: it's always a joy for me to use technology to observe plant textures up close.
 I wonder if, with the best cultivation, you can get a flower the year you sow it...

[Véronique Macrelle]

here is another flowering from the convolvulacea  group (or Pseudocodon).
 the seed label indicates Codonopsis forrestii: flower + blue, almost twice as small, the central ring is very dark (the camera changes the colour) and directly around the receptacle.
it also seems to close at night.

[Véronique Macrelle]

my third plant in this group, labelled Codonopsis vinciflora is preparing a flower bud. This time, of course, it's a different species because the flower bud is different: the calyx is not fused around the corolla in bud

 the leaves are also more toothed. Another week or 2 to see the flower in full bloom. Let's hope it doesn't wait until I'm away on holiday!

[Véronique Macrelle]

the effort of the sower is rewarded by the first flowering, but also when his plants get bigger!

on Codonopsis kawakami, the green flowers in the shape of a lady's dress are becoming more and more numerous: incredible this year! I love these flowers

[Codonopsis pilosula[/i] will not be outdone: it is preparing an impressive number of flower buds!

[Véronique Macrelle]

 my C. grey-wilsonii suffers from premature dormancy, a problem I have every year, but a little later this year. I don't know if I'll get any seed.

First flowers of Codonopsis pilosula.

[ashley]

You have a very nice codonopsis collection Véronique
Here C. grey-wilsonii is still in full growth, perhaps due to our cool summer and regular rain.

[Véronique Macrelle]

at the moment our summer is looking more like autumn here too.
 Do you grow it outside in the ground, Ashley? Full shade or part shade?
 I'm waiting until I have enough to test it.

[ashley]

Most are outdoors in the ground, with roots in moist shade & stems mainly in sun, but these conditions may not necessary. 
I keep a few 'back-up' plants in pots that also spend their summer outdoors in similar conditions.
All are from SRGC seed that germinated very well