Epilobium latifolium

[Philippe]

Hi,

Has this epilobium special requirements to grow well, and especialy to get to the flowering stage in culture?
I already had it some years ago. I have planted it on two different places, but neither did it grow well, for a plant that can potentially become quite weedy in the wild, nor did I see the least will to flower ( it's simply dead in the meantime ).
When all that wasn't already sufficient I find it quite difficult to grow from seed. Bad germination, then seedlings don't strenghten enough, and soon die.
Do I really have no luck with this plant, or are there particular things to do to succeed? ( I have a cool and wet summer, and a long snowy winter). Does it need water vicinity? It does appreciate gritty soil, with some "food" within, isn't it?
I was wondering if the day lenght in summer couldn't be an important success factor, as it generaly grows in more than me northern latitudes.
So, if any ideas on the subject, they will be welcomed 

[Lesley Cox]

Philippe, why, in spite of your NW Scotland climate during summer, have you taken to the Scottish flag in your avatar?

[Maggi Young]

Philippe, why, in spite of your NW Scotland climate during summer, have you taken to the Scottish flag in your avatar?

Why, Lesley, have you not heard of the Auld alliance? 

[Lesley Cox]

Well of course, but I didn't think so much was made of it nowadays, and was the flag of that period? I thought it was a later thing. No matter.

[Stephenb]

I can't really help as I have a northern latitude garden (with cool summers and usually unstable winters with variable snowcover). I have grown this since 2006, but have restrained it in a large pot sunk in a bed as I was concerned it might be invasive. It doesn't get any special treatment (i.e., just watered in very dry weather). It has grown and flowered well. The plant was actually from the only known Norwegian "wild" population just outside of Tromsø, found growing in a typical habitat for the species on gravel in a meandering stream bed. It has no doubt naturalised from a garden in the area.

[Lori S.]

I see it most often on high scree slopes with water running beneath, and also at lower elevations on floodplains and streamsides... also less commonly as individual plants on drier ridges, but never as big colonies there.
I've never grown it so have no advice there.  (I bought what was supposed to be it once but it turned out to be just a dwarf form of Chamerion angustifolium.)
Here are some photos of it, mostly in high wet scree and other wettish spots, also one on a drier ridge... some variation in petal width too.

[Philippe]

Philippe, why, in spite of your NW Scotland climate during summer, have you taken to the Scottish flag in your avatar?

Hi Lesley,  for a few days, I was desperately searching a pic for my avatar, to complete the empty place. Might have been a flower...No...Me? Euh no, not found anything yet.
So my unendable love for Scotland deserved this empty place, so the flag.

Why, Lesley, have you not heard of the Auld alliance? 

I swear I didn't know anything of it...So I googled the thing quite now and learned it is to be found for example in Paris.
What a coincidence!! I just came right this evening from a short 1.5 day trip in Paris ( beautiful but so stressful and exhausting), and walked exactly a part of the street in which a pub from this Auld alliance is to be found!


So, my avatar picture will now have a personal story.


Thanks Stephen and Lori too for your answers and beautiful photos. Il'll try it once again. I must abolutely somehow manage to grow it once correctly, and perhaps have the chance to see it in flowers in my garden!

[Lesley Cox]

A nice story Philippe. Next time you are in Paris - lucky man - perhaps you could photograph the pub?