Silene nigrescens subsp. latifolia W/O-9230
20 seeds per packet.
The seeds we offer have been harvested from plants grown by us from seed collected by August Wu and Bjørnar Olsen in Balangshan, Xiaojin, Sichuan, China at 3750 metres. A very rare plant in cultivation, native to Kashmir, Burma and south-western China, that grows on open slopes, screes and rock ledges. Produces rosettes of 5 to 10 mm wide, narrow, lanceolate foliage and stems that carry unusual, large, white, spherical calyces with prominent ribs strikingly picked out in deep brown-purple. Plants are short lived but will produce plenty of seeds and will self-seed when happy. Flowering May. Height 25 cm. Sun to part shade in moisture retentive but well-drained soil.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow from March to June. Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots to grow on.