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| Celmisia
semicordata subspecies aurigans is a mountain plant from
New Zealand’s South Island, making large clumps of
golden leaves that stand out on open subalpine scrub and
snow tussock- herbfield, especially on rocky sites, in the
high rainfall regions of eastern and south-central Otago. |
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| We see these
plants and fall in love with them, but where can we
obtain the plants? There
are some nurseries that grow these plants (not many).
If you are not able to obtain them from a nursery,
the next step is to acquire seed and have a go yourself,
(this is the route I always go for).
Next step, buy seed from commercial seed companies,
or look in the seed exchange lists; you usually find seed
listed and some is wild collected seed. |
| I
find Celmisia seed germinates soon after sowing - sow the
seed in January, and keep the seed as cool as possible -
heat causes the seed to damp off. I
keep them growing in the seed compost until the early
summer, when I transfer them into individual pots, (do not
over pot); keep potting on as and when the roots come out of
the bottom of the pot. Free draining compost, but do
not let them dry out. Plant out in the garden
when you have a good sized plant in the spring. |
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The
plant in the picture I purchased as fresh seed from a seed
collector (who no longer collects NZ seed, I am sorry to
say) in 2011.
Celmisia
is named after Kelmis (In Greek mythology Kelmis was a
childhood friend of Zeus, but following a disagreement Zeus
turned him to adamant, a mythical substance which is the
hardest in the world, perhaps a reference to the sharp
blades of Celmisia).
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