Some Lime Loving Alpines 



By W. E. DAVIS, Jr. 



[Editor's Note: As the rock garden grows in interest and appeal the gardener will naturally want to extend his acquaintance among the Alpine flora 

 and other plants that properly jit into the rock garden. So far, there is but little exact information available in American literature because skilled rock garden- 

 ing is the newest phase of garden work to become popular. In fact, it is only just beginning to catch hold. Failures with Alpines often ascribed to the climate 

 have really nothing at all to do with that convenient source of blame; but are due to a lack of exact knowledge as to the soil requirements of the plants. The 

 author of this article has experimented for many years and has solved a great many of the problems. In The Garden Magazine of last September he dis- 

 cussed the building of a rockery and gave a list of a hundred plants that could be successfully raised from seed. In the present article he presents us with a 

 group of plants that have a similar cultural requirement — insistance on lime in the soil. It is intended to supplement this article with others also treating 

 the Alpines in cultural groups. It is obvious that in regions where lime is absent it must be artificially introduced into the soil in order to obtain success 

 with many plants — otherwise it is far better to attempt some other group.} 



IN A general way alpine plants may be 

 divided into three sections: I, those whose 

 culture demands that there be lime in the 

 soil in which they are planted, known as 

 lime loving alpines; 2, those which do not make 

 this requirement; and 3, those which protest 

 against any soil of a calcareous nature. Soil 

 constitution is really important in growing 

 alpines. 



The formation of a considerable portion of the 

 Alps is of limestone and such alpine treasures 

 as we bring to our gardens must have a soil similar 

 to that of their native habitat if they are to 

 flourish and be content in their artificial home. 

 On the other hand, those jewels hailing from 

 granitic mountain structure will not in many 

 instances tolerate any lime whatever. This is 

 abundantly illustrated by the Campanula family 

 which are, for the most part, lovers of lime, 

 although Campanula Allioni, C. pulla, C. pul- 

 loides and C. excisa detest it to such an extent 

 that their death is the eventual outcome. It is 

 'the study of how much lime these shy little 

 " children of the hills" ask for (whether it be much, 

 some or none) that creates no small part of the 

 fascination of alpine gardening. 



If we love these exacting inhabitants of the 

 mountains we must satisfy their many idiosyn- 

 crasies and try to please their many moods. 

 It must also be remembered that whereas the 

 term "alpine" originally signified those plants 

 which inhabited the European Alps, the term 

 is now more widely employed and horticulturally 

 embraces all mountain plants whether they dwell 

 in the Carpathians, the Pyrenees, the Himalayas, 

 or our own Rocky and Appalachian ranges, and 

 so the study of a suitable soil for their well-doing 

 is a matter of much thought and experiment. 



There are those who have very acceptable 

 gardens, yet disregard this subject and who 

 contend that they can do quite well enough 

 without lime for their plants. But in each and 

 every instance it is to be observed that those 

 characteristic alpines — without which there can 

 be no true alpine * garden — are 

 either languishing or dead — or 

 have never even been introduced, 

 and consequently such a garden 

 is most incomplete, being com- 

 posed exclusively of such occu- 

 pants as do not crave the lime. 



Such an indifferent home is quite 

 likely to become the rendezvous for 



Phlox subulata rosea, the rose-colored Moss Pink, is not seen in 

 perfection unless lime is present 



the mountain rabble, but the fastidious aristo- 

 crats of the rocky altitudes would not condescend 

 to abide there for very long. Their demands 

 must be met, if they are to be happy so far 

 removed from their native haunts; and he who 

 does not consider the wants of these treasures 

 must go without them or regard his results as 

 only a shadow of what might have been! 



A- lime-impregnated soil will not cause a plant 

 to grow more rapidly nor will it necessarily 

 create a more robust constitution, but it does 

 create charm and beauty. That division of 

 Saxifrages, the Euaizoons, known as the Silvery 

 or Encrusted section, could not be without the 

 presence of lime, which, working through the 

 foliage, is the cause of their being encrusted with 

 an edging of silver. The Kabschias or Cushion 

 Saxifrages which are the loveliest jewels of the 

 race demand lime if they would remain content in 

 captivity. The Mossies are not so exacting. 

 They will joyously partake of it if given the 

 opportunity, but if not, they do not complain 

 and actually do quite well. 



The sentimental Edelweiss (Leontopodium 

 alpinum) in bloom in a limeless soil becomes 

 dowdy and a dirty pale green — but if planted 

 where it can drive its roots into the limestone 



it becomes the purest of white, and the soft 

 velvety "lion's foot" of the Flannel Flower 

 entices travellers to risk their lives to gather it. 



In a large majority of instances it is the alpine 

 which thrives in sunny positions that enjoys the 

 limestone; while those species which require 

 shade are quite likely to prefer peat and loam; 

 and the lime lovers which inhabit the shady 

 nooks and crevices are, as a general rule, less 

 desirous of a limey ground. 



In the garden one can segregate the lime loving 

 plants and prepare a place for them all, or if he 

 has in mind some definite color scheme or other 

 especial arrangement, limestone pockets can 

 easily be prepared. But experience seems to teach 

 that it is more satisfactory and infinitely more 

 easy to invite the lime lovers into a portion of 

 the garden set aside exclusively for the admin- 

 istration of their wants. 



In preparing the limestone section it should be 

 remembered that the lime used must be well 

 slacked and if it is old, so much the better. 

 Mortar from masonry and walls is ideal for this 

 purpose and most easily obtained and when 

 incorporated into the soil makes possible the 

 culture of the rarest of alpine gems. 



A list of the more precious lime loving species 

 follows: 



Acaena argentea. Achillea (Silvery kinds). Aethionema grandi- 



florum. Alyssum argenteum, saxatile. Androsace lanuginosa, 



sarmentosa, sarmentosaChumbyi, sempervivoides, villosa, villosa 



Chamaejasme. Anemone alpina, Pulsatilla. Arabis (all kinds). 



Aubrietia (all kinds). 



Campanula "G. F. Wilson," Portenschlagiana, Portenschlagiana 



Bavarica, Stansfieldi. 

 Daphne Cneorum. Dianthus Alpinus, caesius, neglectus, petrasus, 

 Pritchardi. Draba pyrenaica (Syn. Petrocallis pyrenaica). 

 Dryas octopetala. Erinus alpinus. Gentiana acaulis, brachy- 

 phylla, cruciata, verna. Geranium argenteum. Gypsophila 

 repens. Hutchinsia alpina. Leontopodium alpinum (Edel- 

 weiss). Phlox subnata. Potentilla nitida. 

 Primula Allioni, Auricula, Clusiana, integrifolia, marginata 



viscosa. 

 Ranunculus alpestris, montanus. Saponaria ocymoides. 

 Saxifraga {Cushion Section), Allioni, ambigua, apiculata, Boydii 

 alba, Burseriana "Gloria," coriophylla, dalmatica, diapen- 

 soides, Elizabethae, Ferdinandi Coburgi, Fredenci Augusti 

 (thessalica), Griesbachi, juniperina, lilacina, media, nervosa, 

 Paulinae, petraschii, Rocheliana, Salomonii, sancta, scardica, 

 Stribrnyi. 

 Saxifraga (Silvery or Encrusted Section), Aizoon, aizoon rosea, 

 altissima, carniolica, cochlearis, cotyledon, Hostii, kolenatiana, 

 lingulata, lingulata albida, lingulata lantos; 

 cana, longifolia, Macnabiana, pectinata. 

 Sedum acre, album, anglicum, dasyphyllum, 

 Ewersii. glaucum, Lydium, Nevii, oreganum, 

 pulchellum, Sieboldi. 

 Sempervivum arachnoideum, arachnoideum 

 Laggeri, arachoideum rubrum. arenarium, 

 Brauni, calcarium (Californicum), cihatum, 

 cornutum, doellianum, dolomiticum, fimbri- 

 atum, Funkii, glaucum, globiferum, Greeni, 

 HeufFelii, montanum, Pittoni, pyrenaicum, 

 Reginae Amaliae, triste. 

 Silene acaulis. Veronica saxatilis. 



II 



Sedum glaucum flourishes in a limestone cre- 

 vice 



The well known Arabis, well called Mountain Snow and White Pock-Cress, is at its best among 



limestone rock 



21 



Lime gives the silvery encrustation on many 

 Saxifrages (S. Macnabiana) 



