Pentachondra pumila

[Carlo]

Anyone growing Pentachondra pumila? Botany-photo-of-the-day has shown a fetching photo of it (http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2009/02/pentachondra_pumila.php) and I don't believe I've seen it before. Comments welcome...

[Lesley Cox]

I'm sure there are pictures from various people in the Field Trips in NZ threads Carlo. It's one of our natives as well as Australian, and yes, a delightful little creeping plant. I have some young ones from seed and I'm sure one of us down here could get you some seed if you'd like it, any time now. It has the nice hait of bearing both its little white flowers and the red fruits, at the same time. Seed germinates well and I can't see any reason why they won't grow on as well. Just say the word.

[cohan]

it is very cute indeed--i like any plant that is tiny... the flowers remind me of single flowers of buckbean (menyanthes)

[Anthony Darby]

I wonder if it would grow in Scotland?

[gote]

Or Sweden?

[JohnnyD]

Or Cheshire?

[Carlo]

and, the reason for my initial post, New York...

[Robert G]

I could say Ottawa too. I don't have high hopes. It would be interesting to find the coldest area it has been planted in and survived.

[Lesley Cox]

Well it is an alpine or high country plant, common and widespread through the country I think and I'm sure would survive in New York, Scotland, Cheshire and Sweden. Judging from Canadian posts to the Forum, maybe Ottawa would be stretching it but maybe not. Here it would normally be under snow for winter. Our highest ever recorded temp for inhabited areas of the country, was -21C.

I haven't been into the hills this summer but Dave and David certainly have and would provide seed for anyone who wanted it, I'm sure. They're probably looking here but I'll put a request for some on the NZ Field Trips thread, just in case.

[Robert G]

Lesely,

Thank you for the info. I know where Carlo is a good bit warmer than here, but I often find for us a healthly layer of snow works as a great protective cover. Poor drainage is often what gets plants here. All that snow melts and puddles, but that is fixable.

[Carlo]

Whew...finally back on-line (love those outages).

It did give me the opportunity to check Mark and Adams "Alpines of New Zealand" which confirmed the desirability of this little plant...and even more so its relative, Cyathodes pumila whose whitish foliage contrasts beautifully with its red berries....

[David Lyttle]

Cyathodes pumila and Pentachondra pumila are superficially very similar and as they grow in the same subalpine bogs are often confused. Pentachondra pumila is less stringent in its habitat preferences and it not confined to bogs and frequently occurs in grassland.

I am posting pictures of both plants that were taken in the same bog at the same time. I would imagine they are both easy to grow and will tolerate a wide range of climates.
I have not grown them myself as they are widespread and fairly common.

If anyone wants seed please send me an email - I will see what I can manage.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks David. I knew you'd come to light. That 2nd picture is of a marvellous plant.

[cohan]

Cyathodes pumila and Pentachondra pumila are superficially very similar and as they grow in the same subalpine bogs are often confused. Pentachondra pumila is less stringent in its habitat preferences and it not confined to bogs and frequently occurs in grassland.

these are both great plants--the mixed cushion is especially cool...
cohan

[Maggi Young]

We grew  pentachondra in the raised bed that we used to  cal "New Zealand"  at the time that bed was quite shaded and thought the plant grew well it did not flower much or fruit. I think it might have done better in more sun here in NE SCotland. When we remade that bed the plant resented the move .....