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Saponaria ocymoides

 
Saponaria ocymoides
rock soapwort
Young specimen in our rock garden

Common name rock soapwort
Family caryophyllaceae
Life cycle perennial (Z4-8)
Flowers purple
Size 8"
Light full sun
Cultural notes well-drained garden soil
From seed germinates at room temperature
detailed seed-starting info below

Even though it sporadically reseeds, I lost my original crop somehow (perhaps to drainage problems in a wet winter), and missed its mounds of flowers late Spring in my 2003 garden. So I traded for new seed, and re-established this charming sprawler in my garden – only to lose it again. The plants from my most recent attempt are quite happy – so much so, they want to take over the rock garden! I may need to put them someplace where their sprawling stems don't cover up delicate alpine sun-loving plants.

Saponaria ocymoides
rock soapwort
As the snow recedes in mid-March, rock soapwort's fully evergreen leaves and purple stems look ready to continue their conquest of the rock garden

We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston.

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Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Commercial seed. Cellpack 70F (75%G, 7d)
  2. Seed from '03 trade. Baggy, 65F (84%G, 8-10d)
  3. Seed from '10 trade. Baggy 70F (90%G, 12-28d)
  4. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (55%G, 14-28d)
  5. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (47%G, 15-55d)
  6. Seed from NARGS '13/'14 exchange. Baggy 70F (100%G, 6-8d)


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