Wulfenia carthiniaca has been hanging around for years in my yard... and not doing much. It is native, apparently, to the Austrian and Italian Alps, and to the Baltic region. The common name for this plant is Cow's Footstep... (huh, no wonder it's unpopular. ;D ;D )
http://luirig.altervista.org/schedeit/pz/wulfenia_carinthiaca.htm
http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20103145102.html
Anyway, in 2009, it finally bloomed! 
It declined to bloom again in the following year, however. :( It seems to prefer more moisture than this climate naturally offers, so I'm thinking of moving it into a north-facing, shaded spot somewhere in the current (or future) tufa garden. (It is currently in regular alkaline soil, in part shade - though perhaps a bit more sun than shade, with competition from trees - at the front of a perennial bed.)
Does anyone have any advice on how to grow this plant properly?
Comments
Re: Wulfenia preferred growing conditions
Thanks, Trond. I think my instinct is correct to try to get it into the rock garden (finally) - I'll see how that works out. Funny that you have it in the driest spot, while I'm trying to find a moister spot for it. ;)
Re: Wulfenia preferred growing conditions
Thanks, Trond. I think my instinct is correct to try to get it into the rock garden (finally) - I'll see how that works out. Funny that you have it in the driest spot, while I'm trying to find a moister spot for it. ;)
Well, Lori, funny and funny ;)
I am not always happy for all that precipitation! What more - the garden often lacks moisture in late spring/early summer when it can get bonedry here. In fall we get too much :(
I grow it with success! Seems that the slugs don't like it.....
I grow my plants in sandy soil at some of the driest, sunniest spots here with some crushed mortar and chalk in the soil.
Sorry, can't find picture.....