STACHYS ALOPECUROS

Description

Spikes of creamy-yellow flowers on square cross-sectioned stems open from June to August over solid clumps of rough hairy leaves. In the wild it lives in the Alps , the Pyrenees and the Balkans, often at high altitude up to 2300 meters. In the south it grows in Italy in the Middle Apennines, and in Greece in the Peloponnese. In Germany it grows in the Allgäu, in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden and in Austria is scattered in the states of Salzburg, Carinthia, Styria, Upper Austria and Lower Austria. Phew! Not rare therefore but a lovely plant nonetheless.

Sowing Advice

For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. We sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.

Key Facts