Hardiness of Petrocoptis pyrenaica?

[Lori S.]

Is anyone growing Petrocoptis pyrenaica?  I am curious about its cold tolerance.  I grew Petrocoptis pyrenaica ssp glaucifolia recently, producing several plants, but with zero success at over-wintering.  It is a beautiful thing that blooms in the first year from seed and constantly throughout the season, so it was not a total loss, but I'm wondering if it's worth trying again?  If you have experience with it, I'd love to hear about it.

[Todd Boland]

Lori, I only saw them in the lower altitudes regions of the Pyrenees so I will guess they are not particularly hardy, especially in a zone 3-4.  Even if they were, they are short-lived.  Anything that flowers in the first year from seed is apt to be short-lived in the long term.  Yours is such a lovely plant it may be worth growing simply as an alpine annual.

[Kelaidis]

Petrocoptis have not been long lived for me: I haven't grown them in a long while and this may prompt me to try them again. I generally remember them lasting two to three years max.

A classic example of an alpine best grown from seed. I don't ever recall seeing these offered by a mailorder nursery in the USA.

This is my first post!

[Lori S.]

Well, being the indefatigable optimist that I am about growing plants, 2 to 3 years in your area, Kelaidis, makes it sound to me like I should be trying it again!

I got the seeds from the NARGS seedex... and do I recall correctly that they were offered by someone again this year?

[Harold Peachey]

I grew this plant last year from Seed ex seed.   Wintered it over in the garage and it went over except that it had nice green tips on all the stems.  I put it in the greenhouse in mid March and it promptly died.  I did save seed and have a few seedlings started to try again this year.

[Lori S.]

I grew this plant last year from Seed ex seed.   Wintered it over in the garage and it went over except that it had nice green tips on all the stems.  I put it in the greenhouse in mid March and it promptly died. 

Well!  Hard to know what to make of that kind of behavior, isn't it?

[RickR]

After reading this thread two years ago, I put Petrocoptis pyrenaica seed on my want/watch list.  I ordered NARGS seed in the second round last year and planted a couple weeks ago in room temperature.  They are up now.

Not really remembering well why I wanted I, I googled the name and guess what came up first on the search... this thread!

So any more follow up info? . . . Lori, Harold, Trond, Panayoti, anyone?

[Hoy]

After reading this thread two years ago, I put Petrocoptis pyrenaica seed on my want/watch list.  I ordered NARGS seed in the second round last year and planted a couple weeks ago in room temperature.  They are up now.

Not really remembering well why I wanted I, I googled the name and guess what came up first on the search... this thread!

So any more follow up info? . . . Lori, Harold, Trond, Panayoti, anyone?

Sorry Rick, I've never tried this one! But according to RHS Dictionary of gardening Petrocoptis (which is the Greek equivalence of Latin Saxifrage!)  is hardy down to -10 - -15C protected from excess winter wet (nothing for me then  ). Can be expected to flower first year from seed and often grown as an annual.

[Palustris]

Survived here for me this Winter with very dry cold (-10c) but not last Winter when it was much wetter. In the Alpine house it keeps easily. Try Petrocoptis crassifolia if you can get it.

[Lori S.]

Well, I have one seedling of Petrocoptis pyrenaica ssp glaucifolia to give it another shot with, so it better work!  
I'd love to try Petrocoptis crassifolia, especially if it should have a better chance of overwintering.