Townsendia condensata

[Pennine Wanderer]

I would be grateful if anyone could give me information on how to grow Townsendia condensata.

[Maggi Young]

Greetings, Pennine Wanderer!

Townsendia condensata is a plant of the high screes in North America and I would give such a plant the protection from excess wet (at any time of year in the UK) in an alpine house.It is never very long lived, I think.
I would give it a potting mix that is fiercely draining and give good watering through the season of active growth (approx. May-August**) then reduce water through the autumn to keep fairly dry overwinter.

 {approx. May-August**- that being said, I have just seen photos of lovely Townsendia spathulata in full growth and flower at the Cleveland show this very day in April!}


However, Michael Hoppel, in Poland, grows this charming plant outside, in a dry area of his garden.
You can read something about that in the Novemeber 2010 issue of International Rock Gardener:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2010Nov261290804873IRG11_November2010.pdf

[David Shaw]

Some of our Townsendias (don't have condensata) are over already but I hope to have one at Edinburgh next w/e.

[Pennine Wanderer]

Many thanks Maggi for your useful comments.  Does the plant require at neutral potting mix or a bias towards acid or lime?

[Maggi Young]

I'm not too sure on the ph requirements.
Rudi Weiss recommends a mineral rich potting mix.

Will check further  later in the day.

[fredg]

I think this will give you most of the information you need.

http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/network/ViewProtocols.aspx?ProtocolID=37

[Maggi Young]

I'm not too sure on the ph requirements.

I'm still not very sure... slightly acid, if anything I think.

Some more reading for you:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/townsendiacondensatavaranomala.pdf
Paper from 2006 on Townsendia  large pdf file 1.38MB

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2010May271274998232IRG_5_May.pdf

http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=185.msg3688#msg3688   more from Graham Nicholls

[fredg]

With milled sphagnum peat, perlite and vermiculite at 6:1:1 it's definitely acid Maggi

[Maggi Young]

With milled sphagnum peat, perlite and vermiculite at 6:1:1 it's definitely acid Maggi

Can't find any chums who growing it well who are saying that in so many words though, Fred!



 (and I think  other Townsendias grow on limestone......just to keep us on our toes! )

[ruweiss]

Dear friends, T.condensata is one of my favourite alpine plants and I grow it since many years in a lean, neutral to
slightly acid mineralic soil with only little or no humus in the alpine house. It is quite easy to cultivate in drier
conditions, but in spite of many attempts I was not able to cultivate it in the open garden for a longer time without
overhead protection.
The other thing is,that these plants are monocarpic and this means steady propagation from the seeds which are
profusely set.
Some years ago I got seeds from a form collected form from Alberta via the AGS seed exchange,the flowers are still
bigger and more reddish.

[Maggi Young]

Thank you dear Rudi..... I hoped you would see this page and give us the benefit of your experience.

[Paul T]

Rudi,

Those are really pretty.... love those furry leaves in combination with the flowers.  Wonderful.

[angie]

One of my favourite plants. I am struggling with them a bit though. I will try and take a picture of the Townsendia I have in flower at the moment. Thats if it hasn't died of with lack of sunshine 

Angie 

[Pennine Wanderer]

 :)Many thanks to all who have been kind enough to offer their advice.  It has given me a better understanding of the plants requirements and I will certainly try to germinate any seed produced.