Bartsia alpina

[Todd Boland]

The rest of the North Americans here will not see this one in your native area...it is primarily European but makes it into northern Newfoundland.  Trond is probably familiar with it.  The foliage is quite sticky.  It is hemi-parasitic like Castilleja so challenging in cultivation, not that I've tried to grow it.

[Lori S.]

It's very attractive, with the flower colour echoed on the leaf edges.

[cohan]

Great colour on this ..

[Hoy]

The rest of the North Americans here will not see this one in your native area...it is primarily European but makes it into northern Newfoundland.  Trond is probably familiar with it.  The foliage is quite sticky.  It is hemi-parasitic like Castilleja so challenging in cultivation, not that I've tried to grow it.

You bet! This is one of the commoner plants in the alpine meadows and Salix shrubbery in the mountains here. However, it is always nice to see them as they add some colour to the greenery.
I have never tried to grow it either.

[Todd Boland]

Trond, yours appear a little taller than ours but then, ours grow in open, exposed areas which no doubt stunts them to a degree.

[cohan]

The rest of the North Americans here will not see this one in your native area...it is primarily European but makes it into northern Newfoundland.  Trond is probably familiar with it.  The foliage is quite sticky.  It is hemi-parasitic like Castilleja so challenging in cultivation, not that I've tried to grow it.

You bet! This is one of the commoner plants in the alpine meadows and Salix shrubbery in the mountains here. However, it is always nice to see them as they add some colour to the greenery.
I have never tried to grow it either.

This is one I'd be happy to try

[Hoy]

Trond, yours appear a little taller than ours but then, ours grow in open, exposed areas which no doubt stunts them to a degree.

Todd, in my opinion it is opposite: Your specimens appear more compact!

This is one I'd be happy to try

Cohan, that shouldn't be too difficult to meet! I'll look for seed in the summer

[Todd Boland]

It does parasitize other plants...apparently it can attach to a wide variety of plants but there is a preference for the Cyperaceae and Liliaceae.

[cohan]

Thanks, Trond
We have a lot of native Cyperaceae, some very nice ones; I've been meaning to do garden experiments with them, and was thinking to use them for germinating Castilleja, Pedicularis etc...

[Todd Boland]

I was told by Stephanie Ferguson, who grows spectacular Castilleja, that it is berst to partner them with an Asteraceae, especially Erigeron.

[Lori S.]

Correct my increasingly poor memory if necessary, Todd, but was she not using a lot of Townsendia for that too?  Wasn't there also a pairing of Gentiana with something else too?

[cohan]

I remember Lori mentioning the Townsendia connection before.. I should look again at my Castilleja photos (local) I don't recall asters being prominent there, though you can't go far here without seeing some; Here they are in grassy areas with very mixed forbs and some woodies-- who knows what they are actually attaching to? (actually, I bet someone has studied it..lol)

[Hoy]

I remember Lori mentioning the Townsendia connection before.. I should look again at my Castilleja photos (local) I don't recall asters being prominent there, though you can't go far here without seeing some; Here they are in grassy areas with very mixed forbs and some woodies-- who knows what they are actually attaching to? (actually, I bet someone has studied it..lol)

You bet!

I found this:  www.viscum.dk/abstracts/text/snylteplanter.pdf It is in Danish and is as easy to read as Norwegian

Bartsia parasites sedges and Pinguicula + other dicots.

Pedicularis: Salix and Betula but probably also on its own root.

[cohan]

There was just some discussion of Castilleja germination on Alpine-L,  and it was said that Castilleja in fact does not need a host at all- gently rub off outer seed coat, cold stratify and that's it... Bob (penstemon) mentioned no host needed in the garden, though it helps (Jane Hendrix mentioned it is more an issue of adequate water).. they are both on this forum too, maybe they'll see this and comment...

I do notice with local Castilleja and Pedicularis that some plants are much more reddish in the foliage than others, and recall a suggestion somewhere that this relates to whether they have a host or not.. they do not ever grow alone here, nothing does, but maybe they are sometimes better connected than others..

[Tim Ingram]

Paul Cumbleton at Wisley has had very good success cultivating Castilleja, and has written about this in The Plantsman (Vol. 7, p218). He finds that essentially careful attention to watering and regular feeding can substitute for any hosts. However, this is in pots and not in the garden. I would be fascinated to hear more of Stephanie Ferguson's experiences.

David and Stella Rankin (Kevock Plants) in Edinburgh have also grown both Castilleja and Pedicularis but I'm not sure they have succeeded in flowering the latter. (My own feeble attempts have been limited to Yellow Rattle - Rhinanthus - in the lawn!).