Unlike any current Lewisia cotyledon cultivars, Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner 'Elise Mix' flowers in the first season without a cold period and brings to the market an excitingly new, almost exotic annual for rockeries, beds and containers. 'Elise' starts flowering 4-5 months after sowing and this sturdy plant with its attractive fleshy, succulent leaves will delight all season long in sumptuous shades of pastel pink, rose, salmon, orange, white and yellow, and bicolour patterns.
In detail
A Fleuroselect Gold Medal is awarded to real breakthroughs in ornamental breeding and a first-year flowering Lewisia needing no vernalisation thus offering a substantially shorter cultivation period fits the bill. During the Fleuroselect trials held at 15 locations across Europe, Lewisia Cotyledon 'Elise' flowered profusely in the first year, leaving the competition way behind. The Fleuroselect judges were further impressed with the improved germination and exceptional heat tolerance. 'Elise' is a genuine breeding breakthrough and a well-deserved Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner.
Market Value
The grower will enjoy the shorter crop time and can programme the variety into an annual schedule. 'Elise' also demonstrates better and more reliable germination than any of the competitors, with a germination of up to 80%, enabling plug production. The retailer can offer a multi-season product fitting into spring, summer and autumn bedding programmes and the consumer will delight in the sumptuous pastel shades and bicolour patterns in patio containers, on balconies and in gardens from early spring right through to autumn. Lewisia 'Elise' thrives in a well-drained soil and is drought tolerant. It does well in terracotta pots and rockery arrangements and can also be used in vertical plantings, fitting perfectly into the current trend of vertical gardening.
Background Information
Lewisia is named after Captain Lewis, who discovered the plants growing in the Rocky Mountain areas of California and Oregon. The variety is commonly known as Cliff Maids for its ability to grow vertically on a cliff face or Bitter Root for the bitter tasting pen-root, consumed by the native Indians. It is a perennial from the Portulaca family, traditionally used in rockeries and is heat and drought tolerant, but can also thrive in lower temperatures. The key to Lewisia's happiness is good drainage. 'Elise' is a new variety in which the wonders of the wild are combined with modern breeding techniques to produce a first-year flowering, all-season seller which will bring music to the ears of garden lovers everywhere.
