Sideritis Glacialis

Description

This very rare plant makes a low spreading clump of small, hairy, grey-green leaves on short stems, holding stubby heads of pretty, pale lemon flowers. Although most sideritis species grow at low altitude, the group of high altitude taxa are endemics, usually with a small distribution areas. In this species it is incompletely-known, and it is threatened with extinction, living at the very upper altitude limit of this section, some 10,000 feet up in the Spanish Sierra Nevada.

Sowing Advice

Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.

Key Facts