| Where
the garden meets the wild
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BONGARDIA LADY'S NIGHTCAP Podophyllaceae (Podophyllum family) / Berberidaceae (Barberry family) |
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| Return to Plants Index Bulbs Index | ||
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| The only member of its genus, Bongardia
is a tuberous, herbaceous cousin of Podophyllum.
This
rare and striking plant is native to rocky, montane slopes and cultivated fields in
Central Asia where summers are dry and winters are spent under snow. It
needs light shade, porous soil and year-round protection from excessive
wet. Consider keeping it in a glasshouse unless you live in somewhere like Denver or
Ankara. It is named for August Heinrich von Bongard
(1786-1839), a German botanist who collected in Eurasia and Alaska.
Please order for shipping in autumn. |
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Photograph © Harrie de Vries
Photographs © Paige Woodward |
Bongardia chrysogonum
(L.) Griseb. Golden, honey-scented
flowers bloom in May on branched, blue-green stems above spreading, pinnate,
powdery grey-green leaves. Each leaflet has
one or more indentations at the top and a gradually fading reddish-purple blotch (often at the
base, but in our plants belting the waist). Balloon-like seed pods are produced before summer dormancy sets in. We
think this has possibilities in a hanging basket, as well as in the
ground. But what we like best is how the intricately
folded leaves emerge, turquoise on their marbled red
petioles (middle photo). Keep this one dry and cool during dormancy. Height
20-30 cm (8-12"). Zone 5, perhaps colder.
Tuber. $16.00 |
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| This page was pdated March 23, 2008. | ||
