Pulsatilla 2013

[greenspan]

Pulsatilla turczaninovii is a species closely related to P. ambigua. Sometimes people confuse them. P. turczaninovii leaves are tripinnate (divided at three levels). 

thank you olga for the foto of a turczaninovii leaf. i checked some of my older Pulsatilla fotos + found this one...grown from (commercial) seed, labelled as "turczaninovii"...it should be ambigua, because of the bipinnate leafs, isn't it?

[greenspan]

this Pulsatilla is flowering now, has big flowers (~9 cm), spreading its narrow tepals like a star in full sun. it grows in my garden for many years + i have no further information about this plant. does anybody has an idea what it could be?

[Susann]

has an idea what it could be?

A very beautiful picture that brings hope that it will be spring this year as well! Thank you!
Repeating that I am not an expert, but regarding there are no leaves I think you can exclude vulgaris and patens. And as the petals are so elliptic I think you can exclude halleri as well, which leaves us to grandis ( P vulgaris ssp grandis). Of course, as long as you don´t know the origin of the seeds it can be of garden origin, and then it can be a mix of anything  ( including Taraxacum, if you know the thread well)

[brianw]

I tried to move an established clump of Pulsatilla yesterday. I was surprised that the head, with maybe 12 or more current buds, only had an old woody, slightly branched tap root. This appeared to be partially rotted and broke off at about 12" long, so presumably went much further down at one point. No sign of feeding/hair roots.
Never lifted such an old plant before. Is this a loss? It is in a deep pot at present in the shade.

[greenspan]

Is this a loss? It is in a deep pot at present in the shade.

i fear so but cross my fingers that it will survive. i would replant the Pulsatilla in open soil (no humus, pure mineralic e.g. sand + gritt, sun protected), because the temperatures in a pot will become too warm, although the pot is in the shade, an this could provide rotting going on...my opinion.

@susann

i labelled older fotos of this Pulsatilla also as grandis + i agree that this plant could be a garden hybrid. yes i know the "Pulsatilla taraxacum". i checked the posting date, because my first thought was a 1. april joke. what about the ambigua/turczaninovii? ambigua?

today we have sunny weather + my Pulsatilla vernalis push up. the contrast of the white flower to the enviroment was very high, the digicam came to its limits. a leaf of Erythronium caucasicum smuggeled in.



Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Alba' with Adonis vernalis

[zephirine]

I need a little help to understand what happens in my garden...
I planted 3 Pulsatilla vulgaris two years ago: a red one (Rote glocke), a purple one (Blaue Glocke) and a pink one with toothed petals (Papageno). They are planted in the same bed, about 30 cm away. Last year, a seedling appeared about 50 cm away from the three initial pants, and I was thrilled!
Yesterday the seedling opened 3 flowers... and I'm really puzzled! The three flowers have each a differerent colour! I looked at the base, but there seems to be only ONE plant!!! Is this just "possible"?

[Susann]

i would replant the Pulsatilla in open soil .

And I would take all the buds away, and any bigger leaves, giving the plant a chance to concentrate on the root loss. Pulsatillas are often said to be impossible to replant, but my experience this far is that it is no problem. You just have to use common sense, trying to get as much as possible of the roots/ taprot, if having, complete and not have the poor plant struggling with flowers or seeds after replanting. I would go for open soil too.  I know that British are very good at pot growing, but here in Sweden it is not very much used, we usually grow our plants outdoor "the natural way". I have replanted many Pulsatillas that have had part of the taproot lost but this far have not had success with a plant with the root rotten.  Good luck!

what about the ambigua/turczaninovii? ambigua?

I am avoiding that question as I know that if I try to say anything Olga will imediatelly prove that I am wrong.

there seems to be only ONE plant!!!

Yes, nature can puzzle us in many ways, but I am very sorry to say that to me it looks as the beautiful pink flower stem has a clear base rosette of leaves and the red one another? From the photos angle it is not possible to see what is happening with the third flower but I would guess this is to be placed in the Taraxacum category just mentioned in the last posts? Still, it is a very beautiful and fantasy trigging photo!

[greenspan]

@zephirine

definitely 3 plants

[Susann]

I was surprised that the head, with maybe 12 or more current buds, only had an old woody, slightly branched tap root. This appeared to be partially rotted

Today I could for the first time have a look in the garden after the disastrous winter. The garden is like a swamp, every step "klafsar" ( google translate suggests "is squelching"?). I have had this garden for ten years, and this is the first time I have had so severe damaged caused by winter. I found  a big P x gayeri that is nine years old, or should I write that it wasnine year old? It was as usual full of buds, but the root and the part that the buds were attached to was completely rotten. It was placed in a rockery with god drainage. I am glad it is not a very beautiful hybrid so I will happily put a nicer Pulsatilla in the spot. I also found two big old Pulsatillas, nothing special, a P bungeana ( the other one I do not remember what it is; vulgaris, halleri or grandis is my guess) Someone hade neatly eaten the stalks of the leaves and the root neck completely. It was only a deep hole in the middle with a nice clean cut in the bottom. I think it was a mouse, based on what happened with the P vernalis I placed under a glass board some years ago. It looked the same. Now I am worried about all the Pulsatillas that do not show yet. How many has rotten? In my neigbor´s vegetable land, with bad drainage, I keep more than fifty P vulgaris hybrids. They all looked fine! The two P halleri ssp taurica that I checked as soon as the snow started to thaw still look like drowned cats, but they have no more aborted buds than the ones I found the first time. A happy ending of this sad post is that I did find some very interesting evergreen leaves that I hope I can tell you more about when it has showed some flowers. Hopefully it is a vernalis hybrid.
I hope that everyone that reads this thread has had better luck than me this year!

The P x gayeri that is now gone

[brianw]

And I would take all the buds away, and any bigger leaves, giving the plant a chance to concentrate on the root loss.

The reason I lifted it was to try to transfer it to another garden in a month or so time. Last year this plant was very late getting going but then apparently flowered as normal. I think I will cut of the flowers and work fine grit into what is left of the plant head and hope for the best.
There was 1 bright point to this exercise. Just 12" or so away with the label facing away from me was an orchid just coming through, I had forgotten I had planted there. It was Eskimo Nell     

[Susann]

I wish you good luck and (with envy) congratulates you for running into your Eskimo friend! I hope he is in better shape than your poor Pulsatilla!

[Jack Meatcher]

 Oh dear! I've just looked through all those wonderful Pulsatilla images and messages. Some singularly stunning plants. Now I could start to regret not having discovered the range of Pulsatillas before homing in on Narcissus.
I have sown some P seeds obtained from the AGS and SRGC exchanges but the AGS seed, sown in 2012, has not germinated to date. The SRGC seed was sown in 2013 so I haven't been surprised it hasn't germinated yet (although three lots of Tulipa seed, sown at the same time, has started to germinate. Is there a recommended technique for Pulsatillas to ensure reliable germination? I use a very free draining (50% 6mm grit) compost.

Also, I understand they don't like being moved (repotted or transplanted). Is this true?

Seriously tempted Jack Meatcher

 

[ian mcenery]

Some wonderful pulsatillas being shown on this thread.  This vulgaris is doing well but a number of other plants plants seem to be flowering less well this year no doubt due to the poor summer last year

[ranunculus]

Magnificent, Ian.

[Olga Bondareva]

Topic get the second breath when spring come. 
I'll answer a little bit later because I just came back from the place where some wild Pulsatillas grow.