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Polemonium pauciflorum |
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Family |
polemoniaceae |
Life cycle |
perennial (Z3-7) |
Flowers |
yellow (May-June) |
Size |
12" |
Light |
full sun-part shade |
Cultural notes |
well-drained soil |
From seed  |
germinate at room temperature Flowers first year from seed sown indoors early.
detailed seed-starting info below
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Seed ripens | early July |
I don't know what it is with this plant, but its seed seems to be happiest as an imposter. So far, we've managed to grow it twice; once from seed for P. viscosum (a blue species), and then from seed labeled P. foliosissimum ssp. flavum, which blooms in fall instead of spring. The red-tinged yellow trumpet flowers look like photos of P. pauciflorum I've found, so this is my tentative identification. So far, we've found them to be finnicky - if sowed indoors early enough, they will bloom in their first year, but often will fail to return for a second year. But just as I was content to consider them annual in our climate (much like several other non-blue polemonium species I've tried), I had a few survive winter in 2008. We'll see if they stick around a while longer.
We were surprised one spring (two seasons after we had first grown them) to find several self-seeded plants, blooming. I find it's actually more charming when mixed at random into other plantings than when purposely planted in groups together. I guess it fits nicely into my messy style of gardening.
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This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away... One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Polemonium pauciflorum
Visitors to this page have left the following commentslou in Devon, England | Oct 23, 2008 | thank you so much..I now know what this plant is called.. I have been looking out for it for years.. |
Pam, South East England | Jul 24, 2010 | July 24th - I have just found a seedling of this plant in with another plant and remembered having seen it at a show. I certainly did not buy it! It is about 10cm. tall and has one flower, so far.
We had snow for several weeks early this year, so I don't know if it survived the winter and I didn't see it or a visiting bird/animal brought it. I shall look after it and see what happens. |
amandalou | May 29, 2011 | thankyou for identifying this plant, it grows all over my garden every year starting flowering in May and is followed by black berries and I have been trying for ages to find out its name. |
amandalou scottish borders | May 29, 2011 | I meant to add that it grows in my rockery and spreads happily. It comes back every year despite the heavy snow we get here. |
margaretta barclay | Jul 20, 2011 | Polemonium Pauciflorum appeared in the middle of my vegetable patch 3 years ago.I had no idea what it was and eventually took a plant to an identification stand at the Coombe Trenchard Garden Festival.Some time later an I was contacted and it was identified as Polemonium Pauciflorum.As it is native to Arizona,New Mexico and Texas I was surprised to find that it survived indeed thrived after three very bitter snow bound winters.The plant is very attractive and elegant and has self seeded everywhere.I see from other comments that it can be fickle and disappear so I will save seeds and enjoy it while it lasts. |
jebmistral | Jun 28, 2012 | A few years ago this plant appeared in my garden in Peterborough. I just left it to its own devices and it has returned each year since. Thank you to whichever bird transported the seeds, because I think it is a beautiful plant. I love the yellow trumpets which have a varying amount of red on the outside. Like many other people I searched for some time before I eventually found the plant in a gardening book, but I had forgotten its name till I came across your website. |
Francis Reynders Belgium | Jul 02, 2012 | Years ago I have sowd this from an American source ( which one , I can't remember , but it could be North West Native Seeds , by Ron Ratco) Then I've lost the plants for years ( I forgot it completely)until last year when a young plant came up on the place it once was growing. This year that young plant was completely full of flowers. Thanks to your terrific site , I found back the name , under which I received it , maybe 10 years ago. Hmm, I'll keep my hopes up then – I haven't seen any in my garden for a few years now. Although I did start some from seed this winter; don't recall if they survived so far. |
Curt Björklund | Apr 27, 2013 | Jag har varit i Andalusien Spanien där såg jag en blomma som liknar Polemonium pauciflorum jag har en bild och är intresserad av vad den kan ha som namn? |
Arthur Ryles | Jun 15, 2015 | I first bought this plant when living in Bedfordshire, it was named as "Brannigans Variety" I just lift and move self sown seedlings, or sometimes discard. |
- Seed from '03 trade. Baggy 70F (64%G, 4-9d)
- Seed from '04 garden. Baggy 70F (45%G, 4-11d)
- Seed labeled 'foliosissimum flavum' from '06 trade. Baggy 70F with light (90%G, 5-7d)
- Seed from '09 garden. Baggy 70F (43%G, 6-10d)
- Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (26%G, 6-13d)
- Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (3%G, 9-19d). Only 1% developed.
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