Pulsatilla BUNGEANA (sold and passed around under the incorrect name, "P. campanella") EDIT by moderator

Way to go!  It is a sweet one, isn't it?

We found Pulsatilla campanella growing abundantly above Almaty (and elsewhere) in the tundra of the Tian Shan the last two years: we obtained quite a bit of seed and have shared this with several growers. The plants we saw resembled your's...it is interesting to compare it with the attached Pulsatilla, which I obtained under a different name (and which is probably NOT campanella) but has the same lovely nodding habit...

I once grew a gorgeous, huge flowered nodding Pulsatilla under the name of ambigua which I have never seen again (things I grow under this name have never been the same luminous, hairy russet red)...the only other nodding pulsatilla I've grown is the rather gloomy European Pulsatilla pratensis: I suspect there are many more...

Beautiful soft blue-green color on that one Panayoti!  I don't know the genus very well, but I was taken with a couple very large plants in Peter George's rock garden, most imposing and showy overall, although the flowers themselves are subtle.  First a view of the plant in flower on 05-07-2010.

And the following two views of the plant in seed (also lovely) two weeks later on 05-21-2010.

Certainly a robust plant...and the flower color IS subtle Mark. A gentle way of saying ugly? Not all pulsatillas are created equal! They are certainly one of my favorite groups...although the seed from the exchanges has a disconcerting habit of turning repeatedly into yet another variant on Pulsatilla vulgaris (not a tragedy: that is a great plant)...

Mark, what species is it that you are showing in Peter George's rock garden?

Here are some more photos of P. campanella. [EDIT:  THIS IS NOT P. CAMPANELLA.  WILL POST SPECIES NAME WHEN DETERMINED.    EDIT:   IT IS ACTUALLY PULSATILLA BUNGEANA... now, how to fix all the internet references to these misID'd plants?]   It's remained a puny little thing (in my benign neglect) but it's pretty when it's in bloom.
The cycle from emergence...

To blooming (by late May)... to blown...

Pretty little thing. I like your crevice garden Lori, one of these days I shall have a go at building one. Having said that I've been going to make some fishbox troughs (Ian Young style) for the last seven years and haven't done it yet. :-[

Skulski wrote:

Mark, what species is it that you are showing in Peter George's rock garden?

Here are some more photos of P. campanella.  It's remained a puny little thing (in my benign neglect) but it's pretty when it's in bloom.

As Peter recalled, it was P. campanella.  Whether it is true or not, or some other species, that is certainly a possibility.  I like your small plant identified as P. campanella; attractive through the seasons of growth.

McDonough wrote:

As Peter recalled, it was P. campanella. 

I always forget how variable plants can be!

EDIT:  Or how often misidentified! ;-)

The plants shown in this thread by both Todd and by me are actually Pulsatilla bungeana.   It has been sold and passed around under the mistaken name of "Pulsatilla campanella" although that is a very different plant.

The photos shown by Panayoti of P. campanella in the wild are, of course, correct for the species.