Ostrowskia

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A fabulous plant known as the Giant Bellflower, found only in a small area in the Hissar, Ugamskiye, Pamir Mountains and N.Afghanistan between 1,500 and 2,000m. Our plants are raised in cultivation, from Arnis Seisums' introduction from the Karateg valley in the Hissars of Tajikistan.

According to the latest revision (Takhtajan, 1997) within Campanulacea, 97 genera including such familiars as Campanula, Codonopsis and Cyananthus are included in one subfamily. Totally isolated are two other subfamilies and within each is just one genus Canarina and Ostrowskia. Each genus contains just one species and are monotypic. These are very distinctive.

It makes slender glabrous stems clothed in tooth-edged, whorls of glaucous leaves and covered in massive flowers of light powder blue or bone-white with fine pale blue veins. After flowering is complete or when temperatures get too high, the plant enters dormancy and stays this way until Sep/Oct. This is the only time that it can be moved. It is best kept dry from the first leaf yellowing to the first shoot emerging.

Order from Autumn list only.

Ostrowskia magnifica

Over 120 years ago Robinson wrote that it was 'worthy of any care to make it a success' and this has been echoed down the years by others. It is tricky but is growable given an understanding of its needs - why is it worth the effort ? well it reaches up to 1.8m tall and then in the height of summer bears around 25 huge, widely flared bells of light blue to white, on long pedicels. By huge I mean flowers 15-18cm across.

Full morning sun in a gritty well-drained soil, with some light shade from the strongest overhead sunshine.

It makes a BIG, swollen root, strongly perennial but slow to make size and resentful of disturbance, so be warned please. Best outside in a south facing site, raised bed, good drainage, deep rich soil. If you must grow it in a pot then be aware that this is not the best way to grow the plant. It will need a big one and will not thrive in a small one, at all, even when young. Aim for 12-15 litres as an absolute minimum. Use loam-based compost as it will be in the pot for a long time, peat-based composts are totally unsuitable. Don't ever repot, top dress only.

In three words ? Particular, growable, stunning.


Ostrowskia magnificaostmagmag	£25.50
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