Pedicularis sylvatica

[Todd Boland]

Another species only known in North America within Newfoundland.  It is not native here (unlike Bartsia which is) but naturalized in a few places.  Again it is hemiparasitic so may be challenging to grow.  Also seems to like wetter soils.  The purple foliage is great even without the blooms.

[Lori S.]

That's a very attractive plant, as are so many Pedicularis.  What an odd thing to be introduced and to become naturalized, though!  So many introduced plant species are here due to agriculture, but it's hard to imagine it would have been the case with this one.  Any speculation, Todd?

[Tim Ingram]

Todd - if only these Pedicularis were growable; they really are extraordinarily attractive plants (I expect partly because they aren't growable!). Do you know how long this species has been naturalised in Newfoundland? Cliff made a whole study of these plants on the SRGC IRG - wonderfully photogenic but often very difficult to identify.

[Hoy]

Beautiful picture Todd!

This species, Pedicularis sylvatica sylvatica is very common here. I think it is the same subspecies you have, Todd? The other subspecies, P. s. hibernica also do grow here.
They are usually found in very moist Sphagnum moss.

[Todd Boland]

You can see in the pic that this clump is growing in sphagnum...perhaps we have the hibernica subsp...I had no idea there were different subsp.  I've only seen P. sylvatica in the St. John's area.  A similar larger sopecies is P. palustris, native to the limestone barrens.  Like Bartsia alpina, it is a European species that just makes it to North America in Newfoundland.  P. sylvatica has been here at least 50 years but is very restricted...how it got here is anyone's guess.  Like you say, it is certainly unusual to have a Pedicularis as a weed species....albeit a nice weed!

[Hoy]

You can see in the pic that this clump is growing in sphagnum...perhaps we have the hibernica subsp...I had no idea there were different subsp.  I've only seen P. sylvatica in the St. John's area.  A similar larger sopecies is P. palustris, native to the limestone barrens.  Like Bartsia alpina, it is a European species that just makes it to North America in Newfoundland.  P. sylvatica has been here at least 50 years but is very restricted...how it got here is anyone's guess.  Like you say, it is certainly unusual to have a Pedicularis as a weed species....albeit a nice weed!

I would like to have it in my garden but have no proper place for it!

According to my flora (the Norwegian "bible" of plants)



You may recognize the name Dagny Tande Lid. She made the drawings of "Rocky Mountains Wild Flowers")


it is the sylvatica subspecies which is found in Newfoundland. P. s. sylvatica has glabrous calyx and peduncle. The other one has curly hair here. On sylvatica the stem is glabrous too or with two rows of hair while hibernica is pubescent.

[Todd Boland]

Thanks for the info Trond!

[cohan]

Really gorgeous! I'd be happy to try this sp too, and really love some of the small creamy/yellow spp I've seen.. Locally we have lots of P groenlandica which I do love (haven't tried growing it yet, but will), but of course the small ones have a different charm!

[Hoy]

I'll be looking for that one too!

[cohan]

I'll be looking for that one too!

Which one, groenlandica? if so, I could give you seed by the bagful

[Hoy]

I'll be looking for that one too!

Which one, groenlandica? if so, I could give you seed by the bagful

What I meant was I can look for seed of palustris. It is also common here.

But I wouldn't say no to some seed of groenlandica. That species doesn't grow here and looks very nice

[cohan]

Tks, Trond
P groenlandica is very lovely- you know the ones that are common and are not small and in bare places are easy to not get excited about, but really its quite showy, and forms sizable colonies in some places...