Lewisia is also known as Bitterroot or Porcelain Rose. The perennial is available in many colors, is evergreen and, depending on the variety, also hardy.
Garden lovers and plant lovers are amused by the very different names of the Lewisia, which are referred to as bitterweed or porcelain roses. The graceful rock garden plant creates a unique play of colors with a clever combination of white, yellow, orange, red, pink and bluish flowers.
The Lewisia, also known as bitterroot or porcelain rose, belongs to the carnation-like family like cloves, knotweed, cacti and 32 other plants of the spring herb family. All plants are native to the mountainous regions of the western United States, Alaska and Canada. The "common bitterroot" is native to the southwestern United States. Lewisia grows almost exclusively on rocky ground. The roots make their way through cracks in the rocks, usually found in a coastal region. Excess moisture can run off for miles there. When planting in your own garden, the soil and its composition therefore play a subordinate role.
Characteristics of Lewisia / Bitterroot / Porcelain Rose
The botanical name Lewisia honors the famous explorer Meriwether Lewis. Bitterroot or porcelain roses are an easy-care alternative for the rock garden at home, as the perennial plants require little work and at the same time provide a beautiful color accent in the garden with their star-shaped flowers. The insect-friendly rock garden plants with their appealing leaves and flowers bloom from spring to summer with a special blaze of color. In addition to the rock garden, the plants also feel at home in cracks in walls, on gravel paths and in flower pots. Bitterroot is ideal for stony and dry soil due to its low requirements.
The fleshy leaves are arranged in a rosette, basal or developing into a thin stalk up to 30 centimeters tall, on which the flowers form. The leaves are oval to oblong in shape and are ruffled, jagged, or smooth at the leaf margin. Rarely do they grow larger than seven centimetres.So that they can retain moisture, they are covered with a waxy layer and shine from a light to a rich, dark green.
The flowers form racemes like racemes. Only a few Lewisia form single flowers. The leaves are arranged in a circle and are very rarely alternate. The leaves of the calyx are mostly small, but may also have developed petal-like sepals. In addition to beguiling colors, the flowers can also be multicolored and traversed with light and dark stripes. They appear between April and July. Bitterroot forms capsule fruits that contain different numbers of seeds.
| Lewisia / Bitterroot / Porcelain Rose / (Lewisia cotyledon) | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | rosette-like, tufted to loosely tufted |
| Growth: | 5 - 25 cm |
| Growth: | 220 -25 cm |
| Flowering: | May - July |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | permeable, low humus and nutrient requirement |
» Note: Bitterroot has no healing properties and is not poisonous, so it can be safely planted in the garden where children play. The plants are often confused with Geniana lutea (yellow gentian), which is sometimes referred to as bitterwort.
Plant Lewisia
➔ The right location
Bitterroot / Porcelain Roses are hardy, undemanding perennials that love rocky, well-drained soil. Ideally, this contains sufficient nutrients and little lime. Rock gardens, walls and gravel paths are the ideal place for bitterroot when they are sunlit. An isolated or raised location in a stepped rock garden is important, as this is where the flowers come into their own. Lewisia can also be planted very well in pots or planters.
➔ The right floor
Bitterroot prefers a well-drained and lime-poor soil. If the soil is heavy, humus or well-rotted compost should be placed in the planting hole. Lime-free potting soil should be mixed with humus. In addition, dry substrate can be upgraded with a small amount of clay if the Lewisia is to be planted in a bucket.
➔ Planting Lewisia - step by step
Before planting or repotting, bitterroot should be watered thoroughly and old substrate removed from the roots. The burrow or thePlanting containers should be larger than the root ball. When planting in tubs, a drainage layer made of expanded concrete, coarse gravel or old potsherds is appropriate.
- choose a sunny, partially shaded location
- Dig a hole in the ground
- Prepare substrate
- Fill the planter with a drainage layer
- Fill the soil mixture into the ground or planter
- Insert Lewisia
- fill with soil
- water properly
Bitterroot care
➔ Pour Lewisia properly
Bitterroot doesn't like it when the roots dry out, so the plants should be watered regularly. Porcelain rosettes, on the other hand, do not need much fertilizer. Outdoor planted Lewisia are quite happy with bark mulch or some compost in the spring. On the other hand, if the porcelain roses are planted in a bucket, they need a little liquid fertilizer about once a month to grow and thrive.
Even though Lewisia are among the succulents that can tolerate drought well, watering them at regular intervals is important. However, a small amount is enough. Too much water quickly leads to waterlogging, which causes rot.
Pruning Bitterroot
When the flowers of the porcelain roses have faded, the withered flowers are removed along with the stems. This also promotes the formation of new rosettes.
Increase porcelain bells
Lewisia is easily propagated by cutting off and planting the daughter rosettes. It is advisable to cut off daughter rosettes every two to three years, as this strengthens the mother plant.
Bitterroot - Diseases and Harms
Bitterroot is prone to root rot. A heavy, compacted soil and a wet winter are the greatest source of danger for the rock garden plants. With good drainage, the porcelain rosettes can be protected from waterlogging.
Winter protection for Bitterroot
Many species of porcelain roses tolerate severe frost, while others are significantly more sensitive and need winter protection. This ensures that the roots are protected from excessive moisture. Plants that are sensitive to frost are better off in pots that are brought in in winter. If you are not sure whether the Lewisia are actually hardy, you should plant them out of the ground in a bucket. In the pot, they can be overwintered well in cool rooms. An unheated conservatory or greenhouse is ideal.
» Tip: Bitterroot is very thirsty. That's why watering should also be done in winternot be forgotten!