Mertensia bella
| Mertensia bella | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Mertensia bella
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[1][2]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. Protect from direct sunlight[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division, with care, in early spring or autumn[2].
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 at least the milder areas of the country. It is said to be a very distinct member of the genus with no close allies[3]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil with some shade[1][4].
Range: Western N. America - Oregon and Idaho.
Habitat: Wet meadows, moist slopes and springy banks at mid-altitudes in mountains[3].
Edibility: Flowers - raw[5].
Leaves - raw or cooked[5]. The leaves are rather hairy and are not so nice when eaten raw[5].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.