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vonfilm

Lewisias in Texas

vonfilm
15 years ago

In late spring I purchased 3 potted Lewisias from a display in front of Central Market, a high end grocery store in Austin,Texas. They were $8.00 a plant. I was shocked to see them for sale down here because I know they would prove difficult in our heat and humidity. I could not resist them though.

Soon 2 out of 3 were dead- I think from getting their crowns wet. The third plant is so far doing well on the edge of my shady east facing front porch. It only gets a little morning sun and is protected from overhead water by the overhanging roof. I water it once a week from the bottom by setting its pot in about 2" of water for 10-15 minutes. It is still in the original pot with what looks like a peat mixture.

I plan on repotting it soon into a gritty mixture of decomposed granite, halite pebbles and about 20%-30% rich compost with its crown high and dry with a mulch of halite or some other rocks.

I hope that it can survive and reflower. This summer the temperature here has been over 100 almost every day and I fear that Lewisias would just melt in our full sun. I would welcome any thoughts and suggestions on cultivating Lewisias in the south.

Comments (6)

  • terrestrial_man
    15 years ago

    I think you are being too gentle with the plants.
    I would expose them to direct sun during the morning hours and then into either dappled or full shade during afternoon. The real test is not the temps during the day but the temps at night. These plants are tough as illustrated by the habitat they can be found in: dry cliffsides with full exposure to sun. Even at the higher elevations the heat of the sun on the rocky substrate can approach dessicating temps for the plants and most are adapted and protected by their fleshy stems and leaves and the ability of the plant to die back only to revive under more amendable conditions.
    I grow mine hard in clay or net pots in as much sun as possible. I do not water on any regular basis but will look at the soil mass to see if it is dry and then spray it until water drains out of the pots that are mounted on their sides against my greenhouse. It may not be optimal for them but they live and are flowering at this time.
    I use r/o water. With your mix water heavily after repotting and check the heft of the pot and wait until it dries thoroughly before another watering-forget using a schedule. These plants need abuse not coddling.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Info on Lewisia

  • terrestrial_man
    15 years ago

    Below is a link to a 15 day weather chart for a town that is east to north east of Table Mountain where Lewisia rediviva has been photographed
    habitat of plant in flower-click on the image to enlarge

    This really gives a better idea of what the plants are dealing with.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Weather for Belden California

  • vonfilm
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Terrestrial Man,
    What state do you live in? What kind of daytime temperatures do you have?

  • terrestrial_man
    15 years ago

    Here is a comparison using Dallas as the Texas site
    Dallas 15 day forcast


    Here is my town in California
    Santa Maria 15 day forcast


    Becasue I am in a coastal zone the weather here is actually cooler than where species of Lewisia may occur during the summer.

    The main consideration is again the nighttime temps which may exhaust plants that use nighttime lows for an R & R cycle. My feelings is that it may be difficult for the Lewisias to flower in your area but until it is attempted one does not really know!

  • vonfilm
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I have just returned from a 6 day vacation to San Francisco. It was great to enjoy the cool coastal California temperatures.

    It is a little hotter in Austin than in Dallas. In early August we were over 100 every day with about 74 as the low.An official 102 temperature might mean 130 in the direct sunlight.
    I returned to find my Lewisia doing fine on the porch. I watered it again from below and set it back out there.

    This fall I plan to purchase several Lewisias and do some experiments to see how they can survive here.

    While at Muir Woods I purchased a little Giant Sequoia seedling to see if it can survive here. The display claimed that it could survive -30 to 108 degrees and would grow anyywhere. We shall see...

  • terrestrial_man
    15 years ago

    On the Sequoiadendron giganteum keep it in a cool spot with afternoon shading. Mature plants do handle temp extremes but the younger plants are definitely sheltered by their tall parents! These are very SLOW GROWERS! I have had one for probably 20 years and it is only about 3.5 feet tall. Getting the growing mix right is the real snag in growing these in containers. Something that drains very well and will not get soggy at any time unlike its cousin the Coastal Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens which does well in moist soil.

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