Is my lewisia dying back or actually dying!
 

Hello

I've had a small lewisia in a pot which I bought with some other
sempervivums from a garden centre in early summer, but I haven't planted
it in its shallow trough yet. It seemed fine until a few weeks ago, it
was flowering very well, but now its crown of leaves seem to be dying
off, going brown/yellow etc. I don't know what kind it is, although the
flowers are on quite long upright stems and are an orange/pink veiny
mixture. The other (also still potted) sempervivums are fine, and are
spreading and growing - is this just the lewisia's natural behaviour and
will it grow back, or is it on the way out?

Thanks.
--
Lynda Thornton

Is my lewisia dying back or actually dying!
 

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message
...
Hello

I've had a small lewisia in a pot which I bought with some other
sempervivums from a garden centre in early summer, but I haven't planted
it in its shallow trough yet. It seemed fine until a few weeks ago, it
was flowering very well, but now its crown of leaves seem to be dying
off, going brown/yellow etc. I don't know what kind it is, although the
flowers are on quite long upright stems and are an orange/pink veiny
mixture. The other (also still potted) sempervivums are fine, and are
spreading and growing - is this just the lewisia's natural behaviour and
will it grow back, or is it on the way out?


Most Lewisias are not tolerant of winter wet, and many don't like a wet
crown in the summer and autumn either. Yours sounds like a Lewisia cotyledon
hybrid (fairly broad, succulent leaves in a rosette form). These are
evergreen. If it is only some of the outer, old leaves which are dying it
will probably be OK but if all the leaves are dying back it is probably
terminal and due to excess water.

Some people succeed with L cotyledon planted in vertical crevices in a
rockery with the plant inserted on its side so water runs off the leaves and
the crown. Personally I find this something of a lottery and plants last 2
years at most. They are much better in a container which you can keep
sheltered from rain over the winter and even then they will be much happier
in an open gritty compost and with at least half an inch of gravel/grit
mulch on top to keep the crown free of damp.

Treated as above they will last for many years and can form large multi
rosetted crowns, although I always think single crowns are much more
pleasing to the eye.

There is one strain which has been about for a couple of years from Ashwoods
Nursery called Carousel Hybrids which claim to be tolerant of overhead
winter wet. I'll tell you next year if the claim is justified.

Martin R

Is my lewisia dying back or actually dying!
 

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message
...


Hi Martin

Thanks very much for all that information - it sounds as if it's much
too wet for the poor plant, so I'll try and get it into shelter
tomorrow, although I don't hold out much hope of its survival as it's
been struggling for a while now. I assume the other sempervivums are OK
in the wet as they seem alright and one's even flowering sporadically?
Is lewisia the fussiest kind?

Thanks.

Lynda

Sempervivums, in general, will survive anything a UK Winter can throw at
them as long as they are not waterlogged for long periods, so reasonable
drainage is what you need. There are a few exceptions but the only one you
are likely to come across in the general nursery trade is Sempervivum
ciliosum which has been known to succumb occasionally.

Lewisias and Sempervivums are not related except for the shared
characteristic of succulent leaves.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Martin R