I love it! Especially because it survived! I find them hard to grow. Every one I ever tried was dead the following Spring until the little one I bought as a tiny plant. I planted it in a mound of earth and then covered the mound with gravel. They don't like moisture in the Winter as far as I can tell. I really didn't expect it to be there this Spring, but it is. And it's tiny again. (I don't understand why.) It looks pretty much the same as when I first bought it even though it grew larger and flowered last year. Maybe the original plant died off (it was looking pretty tattered last Fall) and a new one emerged from the roots? Actually, it looks like there are two small plants now.

I certainly wouldn't call it aggressive! But you'll need someone else who knows its special properties. I'm just happy mine survived.

I'll try to post a picture so you can see how small it is. I think its cultivar name is 'Little Plum'. It's Lewisia longipetala x cotyledon, so a hybrid. And I just read at the Paghat's garden website that it isn't as adverse to Winter moisture as Lewisia longipetala is.

I've tried growing Lewisia twice and it didn't survive the winter either time. I'll probably at some point try a third time and then give up. Mine have always been planted where there is good drainage, but they are native to mountains and would probably be happiest in scree (gravel).

I have one out front in the xeric garden and it's in its third year. It has not given me any problems at all. The flowers last for a very long time. My front garden is warm and sunny and dry all year. It's where I have the cactus and other things. Here are some photos. In the third photo, the lewisia has finished blooming and is the small green rosette of leaves tucked between the two rocks to the left of the pink ice plant.

{{gwi:5901}}

{{gwi:471676}}

{{gwi:471688}}

{{gwi:471684}}

Beautiful photos Bill. Your ice plant looks really happy. I didn't think that an ice plant could be as prolific as they look in your gravel. How old is it? I'm sure it's a bunch of plants... About how many did you start with? It sure looks great now.

Lewisia looks good too.

It's one plant Debra and it's about four years old. I have some others on the other side of the stairs that are visible in the last photo, two of which are left of the yellow coreopsis. But those are a different variety which grow lower and bloom more or less all at once in spring, with lesser blooms all summer. But the one in the foreground grows taller and blooms like that all season, although it starts a bit later than the others. But they all do really well out front in the xeric garden.

{{gwi:5901}}

Beautiful, Bill; your garden must be a real treat to those looking up hill! That's an ideal situation for these plants, on a dry slope. I live along a river and can honestly say that I'm a bit jealous :)

What variety of lavender is that? They'd look luscious!

Molie,
I couldn't find the tag for the lavender, but I'm pretty sure it's L. angustifolia var. 'Hidecote'. It self sows a bit and I'm very satisfied with its performance. Loves the heat!

{{gwi:5901}}

I bought a 'Little Plum' two years ago because I thought it was lovely - didn't know it was hard to grow. I planted it next to the front walkway - good drainage but lots of moisture it's first winter from all the snow plus more shoveled on top of it. It survived and grew. Last year I bought a few more, some different cultivars. They all seem to have survived the "non" winter.

Here are a couple of photos of 'Little Plum' from last year.

Bill and ejr2005,

I'm confused about Lewisia. I thought for sure that my 'Little Plum' was dead because it looked terrible late last year and then I thought it disappeared. But it's back and there are two tiny plants this Spring. Do your plants remain through the Winter?

Thanks,

Leslie

Leslie - my plants have remained through the winter, though it looks like one of my newer plants is losing one of its rosettes - it was originally a double. It's not a 'Little Plum' - it's something called 'Rainbow Mix.' All three of my 'Little Plums' have survived - the oldest one is now a triple.

Yours looks really happy - don't think mine had as many flowers last year.

Debra - mine don't have flowers yet.

I haven't been able to grow it - I've tried a few times, but apparently I don't have conditions that it likes. It's lovely, though, so yes, I count myself among those who love this plant!

Great photos, all.

Mine is also "Rainbow Mix" and it does stay through the winter. There seem to be more flowers than leaves when in blooms!

{{gwi:5901}}

Bill,
Your lewisia has lots and lots of flower stalks rising from the centra rosette. So that is a good thing. Sounds like lewisia has to have VERY well drained conditions, maybe some scree, full sun for sure and then it will deign to let you know if it likes it! What a princess!

That one ice plant you have must be the Mother Of All Ice Plants.. sheez. I would much rather try to grow that plant than the lewisia....lol What is the variety of that one? It is so cheerful and adorable. They grow really well out West in San Francisco, and they love moist fog. I'm trying to work with plants that will work with me, instead of focusing on "prima donnas". Maybe it's maturity but I'm leaning more towards tried and true plant material all the time.

How can we convince you to come to Annie's NH swap the first Sunday of June? I know you will like it and everyone will be swamping you with plants. Please consider!

Bill,
Your lewisia has lots and lots of flower stalks rising from the centra rosette. So that is a good thing. Sounds like lewisia has to have VERY well drained conditions, maybe some scree, full sun for sure and then it will deign to let you know if it likes it! What a princess!

That one ice plant you have must be the Mother Of All Ice Plants.. sheez. I would much rather try to grow that plant than the lewisia....lol What is the variety of that one? It is so cheerful and adorable. They grow really well out West in San Francisco, and they love moist fog. I'm trying to work with plants that will work with me, instead of focusing on "prima donnas". Maybe it's maturity but I'm leaning more towards tried and true plant material all the time.

How can we convince you to come to Annie's NH swap the first Sunday of June? I know you will like it and everyone will be swamping you with plants. Please consider!

Bill,

I would be happy to pay for postage for any rooted cutting you want to send! Iceplant or otherwise. Thank you so much for offering. Do you have my address from an earlier private email I sent? If not, we can arrange it. Thanks again for offering.

Debra,
I closed that old e-mail account so I no longer have your address. I'll post another message here when (and IF!) I get some rooted cuttings. I do think they won't be that hard to root, although I've never done it.

{{gwi:5901}}