Arabis lyrata
| Arabis lyrata | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Arabis lyrata (common name: rock cress)
Propagation: Seed - it is best to surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame[1]. Seed can also be sown in spring. It usually germinates in 2 - 3 weeks at 21°c[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division after flowering[2]. Very easy, the divisions can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Cuttings in a shady border in summer[3].
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species of rockcress is considered an important first brood nectar plant for 'Karner Blue' butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov), an endangered species in North America. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Easily grown in ordinary well-drained soil[3].
Range: N. America - Alaska and southwards. N.E. Asia
Habitat: Ledges, cliffs (basic or circumneutral), gravels and sands[4]. Rocky and sandy places[5].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked[6]. Rosettes of the lobed leaves are added to tossed salads or served as a green vegetable[7].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.