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A tall growing, large flowered buttercup. Growing early in the season, my plant has not yet had an opportunity to flower. Originally at home
on the mountains of Madiera. My plant was a seedling from the population at Bica de Cana. Large golden flowers in a pot, it is due to go out this year since it has survived the cold. Mark and Abbie Jury write about their experience in New Zealand: "This species is highly prized as a garden plant, as long as you aren’t offended by the extremely bright yellow flowers. It hails from the Azores and Canary Islands, sitting in the ocean between North Africa and Western Europe. The online references talk about it being perennial. We would describe it more as biennial, similar to a foxglove. It seeds down gently and in the second year it flowers. The plants are fully deciduous, going dormant and dying off in early summer and returning into growth by early winter. This is usually the pattern of plants triggered into growth by autumn rains. San Marcos Growers say: A strong perennial with foliage to 2 feet tall by as wide with attractive large (8 to 12 inches broad!) palmately lobed bright green leaves with scalloped margins. In early to mid-spring appear the branching inflorescences to 3 to 4 feet tall with many 1 1/2 to 2 inch wide bright yellow flowers with 5 shiny petals and a green center. Plant in part sun to light shade and water occasionally, particularly in a dry spring and then allow to go summer dry and dormant. It is cold hardy to around 25 °F. A great plant for lighting up a shady area and with its large display does not need to be kept in the foreground to be noticed. This plant is common in the laurel forest areas of several of the islands in the Canary Island chain where it typically grows in moist areas that dry in the summer, when this plant goes dormant, dying back to succulent rhizomes with new leaves emerging with the winter rains. It is also found on the island of Madeira and in the Azores. It grew with me far a few years but eventually I lost the adult plant and had neglected to raise seedlings. |
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| 28th November 2008 | ||
