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December 2004 Telesonix jamesii November 2004 Ranunculus eschscholtzii October 2004 Crocus speciosus September 2004 Arenaria 'Wallowas' August 2004 Scilla autumnalis July 2004 Leontopodium souliei June 2004 Penstemon pinifolius May 2004 Draba rigida v. bryoides April 2004 Vitaliana primuliflora March 2004 Clematis hirsutissima February 2004 Lewisia pygmaea January 2004 Hymenoxis grandiflora Archive 2003 Archive 2002 Archive 2001 Archive 2000 Archive 1999 Archive 1998 Archive 1997

Plant of the Month July 2004 Leontopodium souliei by Iza Goroff Leontopodium souliei is an oriental edelweiss, a member of the Asteraceae, the daisy family. The family, second in species number only to the Orchidaceae, contains over 950 genera and over 20,000 species, many of horticultural significance, both positive and negative. Leontopodium is a small genus, containing about 30 species, more if your botanist is a splitter, fewer if a lumper. Its small herbaceous plants are characterized by inconspicuous flower heads surrounded by conspicuous bracts. Two species are European; the rest are Asian. Leontopodium souliei is found in the Hengduan Mountains of south China, together with at least 12 other Leontopodium species. Leontopodium souliei is said to be the closest in appearance of the Asian species to the European Leontopodium alpinum, the edelweiss. Leontopodium souliei differs in its more tufted and lower habit, its more linear leaves, and its narrower floral bracts. The pictured plants are about 2.5" (6 cm) tall in leaf with flower stems twice as high. They are much greener in leaf than plants of L. alpinum growing nearby, though other authors discuss gray foliage. L. souliei blooms at least a month later than L. alpinum, blooming in midsummer. In its native habitat Leontopodium souliei grows in a variety of situations, mostly poor, very well drained soils. However, one explorer found it growing in a bog. Never the less, it is best grown in almost any well drained soil in full sun. Propagation is by division or by seed. For seed germination others recommend using a temperature regime of 3 months of warm (~ 70F = 21C, followed by three months of cold (~ 40F = 5.5C or less), followed by a cool period when the seeds are expected to germinate.