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Smyrnium perfoliatum
perfoliate alexanders
An attractive addition to the woodland edge or mixed border, this upright biennial puts on a showy display that will liven...
9cm pot
sold out
approx 20 seeds
available to order from summer
1
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Plant description
An attractive addition to the woodland edge or mixed border, this upright biennial puts on a showy display that will liven up the garden in late spring and early summer. Its stout stems are clothed in leaves, rich green towards the base, but sulphur yellow nearer the top.
Smyrnium perfoliatum flowers in its second year, producing rounded clusters of tiny yellowish-green stars - similar in colour to the uppermost leaves. It makes a very handsome foil for rich plums and purples and also looks great when cut and added to a vase.
Smyrnium perfoliatum flowers in its second year, producing rounded clusters of tiny yellowish-green stars - similar in colour to the uppermost leaves. It makes a very handsome foil for rich plums and purples and also looks great when cut and added to a vase.
Eventual height & spread
Flowering period
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Plant features
Position
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth
Fast-growing
Soil
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Fully hardy
How to care for Smyrnium perfoliatum:
For best results, grow Smyrnium in moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade, and avoid overly dry sites. Minimal maintenance is needed once established, apart from thinning seedlings if they become too congested.
Sowing instructions:
Sow the seed where it is to grow in autumn or late spring. Alternatively, sow in trays placed in a cold frame in spring and transplant when large enough to handle. The seeds do require a cold period before they germinate, so spring-sown seed in trays should be watered, then kept in the bottom of the fridge for 4 and 12 weeks.
Germination can be slow, but they are worth waiting for, and once they start to grow they are easy and undemanding plants, which if happy, will self-seed and form generous swathes. For this reason, it is currently illegal to plant, or cause it to grow, in the wild.
Germination can be slow, but they are worth waiting for, and once they start to grow they are easy and undemanding plants, which if happy, will self-seed and form generous swathes. For this reason, it is currently illegal to plant, or cause it to grow, in the wild.
Please note:
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
