Flowers for the garden
Aethionema
Aethionema
Aethionema are annual and perennial plants reaching the size of subshrubs. There are about 40 species, mainly distributed in the Middle East, but some species also grow in Europe. These are steppe plants: the leaves are mostly small, glabrous, entire, and gray-green in color. The flowers are relatively large, gathered in racemose inflorescences, and the coloration can be white, pink, or purple.
Round-leaved Aethionema — Aethionema rotundifolium
A plant of the upper alpine belt (2000-3400 m), Greater and Lesser Caucasus.
As one of the lowest-growing plants, reaching a height of 3 —5 cm, it is suitable for mini-alpine rock gardens. Its stems are leafy and short; the pink flowers are small, gathered in clusters. It looks particularly striking in April—May, when the opened flowers combine beautifully with the gray-green leaves. The fruit is a capsule with winged appendages.
In the Urals it blooms from early May, fairly long-lasting. While in flower the leaves are practically not visible. After flowering, a dense tuft of rounded, gray-blue, small evergreen leaves remains. The plant is attractive all season.
Large-flowered Aethionema, or pretty Aethionema — Aethionema grandiflorum = A. pulchellum = Aethionema sintenisii Hausskn. & Bornm.
Native to Western Asia. Height up to 20—30 cm. Flowers pink, gathered in clusters, opening in May—July. Leaves awl-shaped, gray-green, up to 1 cm long. Inflorescences elongate and lose their compactness with age. The plant is quite winter-hardy in the central part of Russia with good drainage.
Warley Aethionema - Aethionema х warleyense
A hybrid similar to the species A. grandiflorum, which is probably one of the parents. However, the hybrid's leaves are somewhat broader and the flowers are larger. This evergreen shrub reaches 25 cm in height and 30 cm in width. Heads of small flowers appear in early summer. Inflorescences elongate and lose compactness with age. Without cover it withstands temperature drops down to -20°C. In the cultivar 'Warley Rose' the flowers are pink, in 'Warley Ruber' — dark red.
Location: place Aethionema on sunny sites or on slopes facing away from the sun. The most suitable place for them is rock crevices or scree.
Soil: the soil should have good drainage. Add gravel and coarse sand to make it loose and allow water to pass through. Seedlings are usually covered with fine gravel. They prefer calcareous soil, but can grow on neutral and even slightly acidic soils.
Care: excessive moisture harms them, so in winter the plants should be covered with glass or polyethylene film, and protected from frosts with conifer boughs. After flowering, the inflorescences should be removed immediately.
Propagation: Aethionema are easiest to propagate by seed, sowing them immediately after ripening or in early spring, covered with glass. Some species can be propagated by dividing the clump, others by cuttings in June—August, after flowering. For this you will need sandy soil and a cold frame, where the cuttings should remain at first.