Erodium chrysanthum

[Bern]

Erodium chrysanthum is an evergreen perennial in the geranium family. It has attractive fern-like leaves and yellow flowers. It comes from Greece and Albania and appears to be cherished by alpine and rock gardeners. It is dioecious, so there must be a pollen parent and a seed parent to get seeds.

Interestingly enough, one site in the USA that sells these plants says that only male plants are available in the US.  I was wondering if anyone has been growing this plant in the US, UK, EU, or elsewhere and has both male and female plants and has gotten seeds.  I thought it a bit strange that female plants had not been imported into the US in order to get seeds produced.  

Here's the link to the provider of this plant in the USA.

https://geraniaceae.com/plant/erodiums_rock-gardens-and-containers_e-chrysanthum/

[Uli]

Hello Bern,

Here is a link to a reputable German nursery specializing in perennial plants, often rare ones. No idea if they would be sending to the US. They do not state that the plant is dioecious.

Maybe this helps?

Uli 

https://www.gaissmayer.de/web/shop/themenwelten/mit-stauden-gestalten/kiesgarten-gravel-garden/14/erodium-chrysanthum/3204/

[Uli]

Here is another link to another reputable nursery in Austria, I checked Jelitto and Chiltern seeds, they do not list it.

https://www.sarastro-stauden.com/shop/winterharte-stauden/erodium-reiherschnabel/erodium-chrysanthum/

The owner of the Sarastro nursery often travels to the US, I do not know him personally but he might be able to help.

Uli 

[Diane Whitehead]

I checked several years' worth of seedlists of the Alpine Garden Society (based in England)  and the Scottish Rock Garden Society.  Each year about a half dozen species of Erodium seeds were offered, but never E chrysanthum.

Diane

[Bern]

I checked several years' worth of seedlists of the Alpine Garden Society (based in England)  and the Scottish Rock Garden Society.  Each year about a half dozen species of Erodium seeds were offered, but never E chrysanthum.

This plant is mystery to me for sure. I checked Kew Gardens and they make no mention that it is endangered in its native habitat. So it is not a rarity in nature and that only the male plant survived in cultivation. But I see the same words on websites about this plant that "This species is also dioecious and all selections of the species currently in cultivation (excluding its look-alike hybrid E. x lindavicum) appear to be male."  It's inexpensive in the US and Europe. Perhaps it's simply easier to propagate vegetatively than by seeds? But I can't help think that somebody, somewhere would be curious enough to possess the correct plants to get some seed.  Here's another link.

https://pacifichorticulture.org/articles/silvery-erodiums-and-their-kin/

[David Pilling]

There are quite a few plants where cultivation has ended up with a single non-self fertile clone. At least that is often said, there's a second common chapter where other versions are found.

Some examples - chocolate cosmos, the tiger lily, saffron crocus. Jasminum nudiflorum.

Jim McKenney posted a yarn about the latter on the PBS list:

"Here's a funny story about my use of these bags: there is a big plant of
Jasminum nudiflorum at our front door. Most (maybe all?) of the material of
Jasminum nudiflorum in general cultivation is clonal in nature. In a
lifetime of gardening, I had never known this plant to set viable seed
until two years ago. But there it was, an apparently healthy capsule
ripening seed. I was very excited by this, and immediately attached one of
the small plastic zip-lock bags to the capsule.
About a week later, the bag was gone - and so was the developing capsule. A
tidier member of the household had pulled it off and thrown it away because
it looked tacky there at the front door.
And there went my chance to make one bit of horticultural history!"

I have Winter flowering Jasmin and I would like seeds, I got as far as establishing that different clones are available in the UK.

[Martin Bohnet]

actually the second picture on the gaissmayer page seems female, the other ones male.

[Bern]

actually the second picture on the gaissmayer page seems female, the other ones male.

Well, I now have in my collection one male Erodium chrysanthum. If it makes it though the winter I will be trying to find it a friend next year.   

[Carlos]

Hi, I know a couple of people who collect seeds in the wild in Greece, one of them has a wonderful Mediterranean garden and surely knows this plant, and most probably grows it. 

I will try to get some seeds, I like this kind of challenges. 

Personally, I find more appealing high-altitude species from the Alps, Pyrenees and Iberian mountains, I have sometimes collected some of them, but always given away to a friend who lives in a suitable climate. 

Carlos

[Bern]

I will try to get some seeds, I like this kind of challenges.

Thank you Carlos.  I appreciate it.  I also enjoy these kind of challenges and I refer to them as "plant hunts".  I find it intriguing that, apparently, there are no female plants in cultivation in the USA. It would be interesting to see if that situation could be corrected.

Thanks again and good luck!

[Carlos]

Hi. I found a grower who has plants, but no seeds (strange?). Flos Sabaudiae, or Flosab. Ask him (Thibaut) if he can ship to the US... You can mention me.

Carlos

[Bern]

Hi. I found a grower who has plants, but no seeds (strange?). Flos Sabaudiae, or Flosab.

Thanks Carlos. I looked at their website for this plant.

https://www.flosab.com/pepiniere-en-ligne-229-erodium-chrysanthum.html

The third photo appears to be a female flowering plant. If true, there are male and female plants in cultivation, at least in Europe.  I was surprised at how inexpensive these plants were at flosab. 

Also, the gaissmayer.de website seems to have female plants also.

actually the second picture on the gaissmayer page seems female, the other ones male.

It's much easier for me to import seeds than plants from the EU. For now, I'm going to try to hold out for some seeds.

Thanks for your help.  I appreciate it.

Cheers,

Bern

[Carlos]

Ok. I am not very fond of Erodium other than photographing them, as I said, but I have a friend in a suitable climate who collects the endemic species. 

I sent some seeds and plants to Flosab and they owe money or plants, so I can ask for two males and two females and send them to my friend, and wait for seeds.

Do you like the plan?

Carlos

[Bern]

Do you like the plan?

Sounds like a great plan to me.  Thanks Carlos!

[Carlos]

Hi, sorry, but the plan fell through (as so often they do, according to The Smiths).

The guy now says that he has only males.

As another song goes, I'll be 'always searching'.

Carlos