Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

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6) Draba, Arabis, Physaria, and other Brassicaceae

Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides is a dryland pink or violet, perennial Wallflower. It is found on dry rocky hills and ridges in CA, OR, WA, NV, ID and UT. It grows as a mound up to a foot across and about ten inches tall. The gray lance-shaped leaves are four to six inches long, with a short, soft covering of forked hairs. The flower racemes stand vertical to about ten to twelve inches. The seed pods when ripe stand horizontal to the flower stems, giving it it's common name of Dagger Pod.

It is, in my opinion, a strikingly beautiful sight, when seen in full flower against a rock face. I feel this would make a fine addition to a dry garden or sandbed.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHCH
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=6448
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/4petal/must/phoenicaulis/d...
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?ID=1029

Comments

Mark McDonough's picture

Mark McDonough

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 1:43pm

Dang, I missed it on the seed list and I've already submitted my order.  I've grown this plant before, but long since forgotten about how nice it is.  We'll see what's left in the Surplus Seed List.

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Sat, 12/24/2011 - 8:50am

What a beautiful plant!  Must be a joy to see it in the wild, as your excellent photos show!  I imagine it's probably fragrant too?

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Tue, 02/28/2012 - 12:23pm
Weiser wrote:

I sent some to the Seed exchange this year off the same plant from the photos. It should be in the wild collected section. ;)

I got some of them and they sprout like cress! I think every single seed has germinated - now I have almost too many pots. Hope that some of them live to flowering ages.