Lewisia Rediviva

Flowers resembling diminutive frilly water lilies appear before the leaves, over an extended period in the spring, before the plant retreats underground for the autumn and winter as a hardy tuber. Native to the western regions of North America, where it inhabits dry, stony slopes and open mountain habitats, Lewisia rediviva is adapted to extremes of heat, cold and drought. The narrow, fleshy leaves die back completely before flowering, allowing the blooms to appear almost directly from the soil in late spring or early summer — a habit that gives the plant its name, meaning “reborn”. Plants require full sun and excellent drainage to succeed, making them ideal for alpine troughs, raised beds and gravel gardens. When grown in the right conditions, they are long lived and remarkably tough, though intolerant of winter wet.