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We think Erysimums are brilliant plants. Many of them have a very long flowering period, starting in early spring and flowering right through till late summer. With a clip back after the first flush, many will also repeat flower in the autumn, some varieties going right on till the severe frosts start. Erysimum flowers also come in a wide variety of colours - creams, yellows, oranges, reds and mauves - some with pure colours, others with attractive striations. Some varieties have flowers with wonderful perfumes, typically of almonds or vanilla. The genus also has a range of forms, from upright herbacious perennials to tiny leaved alpine and scree plants. However, Erysimums do have some drawbacks as garden plants. All Erysimums need good drainage and sun to thrive, and they will not succeed in acid soils. The perennial species and varieties tend to be relatively short-lived and some are prone to wind-rock. The biennials have largely been replaced in horticulture by the garden wallflower, with its larger flowers and superb range of colours. For these reasons, and perhaps others as well, Erysimums are not terribly popular garden plants at the moment. Many garden centres will stock only E. 'Bowles' Mauve' and even nurseries specialising in hardy perennials are unlikely to grow more than four or five varieties. There is currently no other National Collection of Erysimums and there is no international cultivar registration authority for registering new varieties. Many of the cultivars which have been bred over recent decades have not been taken up widely by nurseries or garden centres and we risk losing excellent species and varieties from cultivation every year. | |