What a pleasant surprise when what I had bought as a packet of Silene seeds, turned out to be one of my favorite alpine wildflowers (at least I think this is what it is hence the aff.) You all know i’m a grower and not a taxonomist.

Well, it has large nodding, sunflowers above tufts of compact linear foliage, and it looks exactly like what i’ve seen in the wilds of the Alaskan tundra. A fantastic rock garden specimen this is probably my favorite composite for the rockery! Some of the best days i’ve had looking at wildflowers were on the Alpine Tundra, always watching your back for a Grizzly! Get your group to sign up for one of my talks and I will regale you with stories and pictures!

These do want it cool and somewhat moist soil through the summer, never being all that far from melting snow so don’t let it dry out too much, oh and also it probably wants to be frozen solid for 9 months a year so don’t drown it in the winter!