Limnanthes Douglasii

[Sue]

Hi
I love this plant, I planted a few two years ago and now I have a patch spreading about 3ft x 2ft. They are so cheerful and are a honeypot for bees and hoverflies. And in winter they are a bright patch of green too and when the plants get thick enough supress weeds, I'm going to plant loads more and put them under my fruit bushes to both attract the bees for pollination and to keep weeds down.

But just to add, on ebay I found a seed supplier who had them in different colours, as well as the usual "poached egg" flower you can get all yellow, mixed yellow and cream or the one I really liked, one called Meringue which is all creamy white. A really good supplier, reasonably priced and fast delivery. They had all white perfumed snapdragons as well which I couldn't resist.
best wishes
Sue

[silver birch]

Ohhhh... I've never heard of that one. Just had a look on Google images. I'm very new to this, but I was planning on planting rue and tansy by my raspberries - as I read that it was a good companion. Have you ever had experience of those ones? I'm tempted to try your suggestion now

[Sue]

Silver Birch
No, haven't tried rue but have tansy growing in my flower border, it's a bit of a thug!
the limnanthes douglasii (commonly called the poached egg plant) is quite low growing - no bigger than 5" so it's good for making a "flower mat".

Give them a try, you won't regret it and they'll never leave you, excellent self seeders! and you don't have to go on ebay, I was just struck by finding different varieties, nearly all seed companies have the common yellow and white type.
Sue

[Ethansmum]

Oh Sue thanks for posting this topic!

I wanted to buy some seeds but sadly I've overspent far too much on seeds this year so maybe in a few months

I had not realised that they are perenial - most of what I read said they were annual- is this not the case?

Please could you tell us the details of your supplier

many thanks!

[Two_Sheds]

I had not realised that they are perenial - most of what I read said they were annual- is this not the case?

They're not perennial, they are annuals that self-seed. I have lots of them every year, they flower really early (sometimes all winter) and I use them as a green manure over the winter.

[Sue]

Ethansmum
As Twosheds says, they are annuals but self-seed so successfully they seem like perennials!
The seeds I bought attracted me as they were new varieties to me, so not cheap at £1.10 for 30 seeds. The company was seedy needs on ebay.

Any of the major seed suppliers would have these available in the bog standard variety and you'd get more seeds for your money. But I've got a huge patch of these and wanted to start some of the different coloured ones off.

And Two Sheds, you're lucky to have them flowering in the winter, mine don't but I'm always cheered by the bright fresh green of their foliage throughout winter.

Sue

[Two_Sheds]

good as a green manure too

As you know, I love limnanthes! Sow (March to May) Limnanthes Douglasii (poached egg plant) around your fruit bushes. It is low growing and quickly covers the soil to suppress weeds.
The flowers attract beneficial insects like hoverflies and bees, for pollination and pest control.
The plants are shallow rooted and easy to take out and compost when you want to plant something else in their place.

I got myself some of the all-white ones - gorgeous. white limnanthes on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[chris]

*BUMP*

Sorry

TS, (or anyone else for that matter) - do you know if the white strain of Limnanthes are as attractive to bees as the usual yellow centred type?

[alldigging]

Hi And in winter they are a bright patch of green too and when the plants get thick enough supress weeds,
Sue

Do they not die back then?

I have grown some this year and the honey bees are all over them. Will def be growing more next year - I assumed I could collect seed from them and spread it.

The phacelia is covered in bumbles and honey bees too!

[Two_Sheds]

TS, ... do you know if the white strain of Limnanthes are as attractive to bees as the usual yellow centred type?

The plants certainly aren't as strong nor as prolific as the common yellow ones.
As for bees ... dunno, I hadn't really noticed. They've all died back and gone to seed now

Do they not die back then?

It depends how hard the winter is. Mine usually survive, although lots more appear in the spring too from all the seed that they fling around.
They tend to grow in a big clump, which I then tease apart into individual plants and transplant