SOME NICE LITTLE ANDROSACES. Part 1.
The genus Androsace has within its species plants that occupy a whole range of mountain habitats as well as various lowland areas. Generally speaking the higher up the plants are found the more difficult they are to maintain in good health in our lowland gardens. But, with a little care and attention to a few details, most of the high altitude Androsaces can be grown successfully, while the lowland plants usually look after themselves.
Androsaces belong to the family primulaceae and indeed some of them are still called by that name.
Let me start with an old favourite, Androsace chamaejasme. This is probably one of the best known and is usually offered in most garden centres and nursery catalogues. Not hard to please as far as growing conditions are concerned, it can be found in most of the temperate and sub-arctic regions in the northern hemisphere as well as Central Asia, North china and North America. Favouring turf areas in limestone regions, it can make a very pleasing addition to the rock garden in the early spring. The flowers are white when they first open but quickly fade to pale pink with a red eye.
Androsace sarmentosa, (Studiosorum?) sometimes called primuloides is a Himalayan species, which is causing a little confusion as far as the true plants, is concerned. A. Studiosorum would appear to have replaced the original sarmentosa in our gardens, but now seed from the true plant has been collected again so we can look forward to adding the original plant to our collections as well as some nice new forms.
A. sarmentosa ? Is easy to please in the garden as far as soil conditions are concerned but will appreciate a pane of glass in the winter, which avoids a very bedraggled looking plant in the springtime.
If you manage to get your hands on A. Studiosorum C 'Doksa' it does not like wet feet in the winter, and must be covered with glass. Alpine house treatment does not please it either, as it is almost impossible to avoid it getting botrytis.
Androsace foliosa, is a plant that does well for me in a scree bed, without the winter protection that most books recommend? My plants are six years old now and still going strong, each year covering themselves with umbels of soft pink flowers over a long period.
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