P

KEY

*                Plants with nectar- and/or pollen-rich flowers for insects.

(S)             Plants of which seed is either currently available or expected in 2009 (@ £2.70/pack)

Click on plant names in green for photos.  All photos are the copyright of Rosemary Castle. 

Prices include first class postage and packing within the UK as at 1 January 2009.

PILOSELLA   MOUSE-EAR HAWKWEEDS

Pilosella x stoloniflora 'Phil Clark'* (Pilosella officinarum x P. aurantiaca)

This plant was given to me by Phil Clark, who has long grown it in his North Wales garden, assuming it to be a form of fox-and-cubs (Pilosella aurantiaca, a European native and garden escape widely naturalised in grassy places).  With expert help from Wisley, Phil's plant was recently identified as Pilosella x stoloniflora, a hybrid between fox-and-cubs (which has clustered tawny orange flower heads) and mouse-ear hawkweed (Pilosella officinarum, a native of Britain and Europe with solitary lemon-yellow flower heads).  Clones of this fox-and-mouse hybrid vary, but Phil's plant is a handsome beast.  Compared with fox-and-cubs it has fewer but larger, deeper orange red flower heads, nicely spaced on stems ranging between about 15-40 cm in height.  Although the plant might easily be mistaken for fox-and-cubs in its hairy foliage and vigorous spreading habit, it seems to set very little fertile seed and is a tough candidate for difficult dry places in sun or part-shade.  £4.50

PLANTAGO   PLANTAINS  

Plantago major.  Greater Plantain.  The tough-leaved rosettes grow just about anywhere and resist any amount of trampling. Wonderful forms exist and no doubt more are waiting to be discovered. 

Plantago major ‘Everywhere I Glow’ (S) - NEW

I’ve always wanted to find a ‘golden’ greater plantain and this is it!  Yellowest when growing fast(ish) in spring and summer, it is so far not as vigorous as its name suggests, but it certainly comes true from seed and that’s good enough for me.  £4.50

Plantago major ‘Frills’ (S)

A form with extraordinary frilly-lobed leaves like some fancy continental lettuce!    From Martin Barber. Plants available autumn.  £4.50

Plantago major 'Rosularis' (S)

The Rose Plantain. Much-loved form in which the flower spikes, prior to elongating, develop a dense rosette of enlarged bracts, suggesting a mass of green petals.  £4.50

Plantago major 'Rubrifolia' (S)

The handsome reddish purple-leaved form of greater plantain.  £4.50

Plantago major 'Subtle Streak' (S)

The spring and early summer foliage of this variegated form is strikingly pale, almost cream. As the season progresses it develops extremely fine, broken streaking in the usual darker green, acquiring an almost mottled effect. Occasional broader streaks of the darker green may be present, but only seedlings showing a high proportion of the very intricate variegation should be selected as true to type. Slugs can be a problem, less so in specimens planted out or self-seeding in the lawn.  £4.50

Plantago major ‘Tony Lewis’* (S)

A rare proliferous form of greater plantain which Gerard would have recognised as a ‘besom’ plantain.  The flower spike typically has numerous side-branches of flowers and can look more like a miniature cypress than a plantain.  Some flower spikes may be normal.  True from seed.  £4.50

POTENTILLA   CINQUEFOILS  

Potentilla reptans 'Pleniflora' . A double-flowered form of creeping cinquefoil.  Lots of double light yellow lowers in July.  Good in poor soil in sun, but best isolated, given its vigour.  £4.50

PRIMULA   PRIMROSES

Primula vulgaris var. alba'*  A simple and lovely white-flowered primrose which has been growing wild for many years on Alan Bremner's farm in Orkney. Best in moisture-retentive soils.  £5.00

PRUNELLA   SELFHEAL  

Prunella vulgaris*. Selfheal.  Selfheal is good in the lawn, crevices in paving and any awkward bits of dry shade you have.  If you pick the leaves early enough in spring, they are mild and tender in salads. The (normally) violet-purple flowers appear from June on and are very attractive to bees. Short-lived perennial herbs that seed freely. The following forms are available:

Prunella vulgaris var. leucantha* (S) (formerly listed as P. vulgaris alba)

Vigorous form of selfheal with pure white flowers in green calyces. Seed only. 

Prunella vulgaris, pink form'* (S)

Pink flowered selfheal: a very pretty combination of rich pink flowers and dark red calyces.  Normal green foliage.

Seed only.

Prunella vulgaris, variegated* (S)

Violet-purple-flowered forms of selfheal having pale mottling, flecking or sectors to the leaves, most noticeable on the young foliage.  Previously I had two cultivars, ‘Inner Glow’ and ‘Gleam’, but over the years seedlings have proved so similar I give up with the separate naming.  Plants available spring, or seed from late summer. Seed only.