Description
Physaria – Bladderpod –
There are 14 species of rosette forming, often short lived perennials in this genus. They occur mainly in the Mountains of Western North America, usually in rocky sites and open screes. They are grown for their unusual, bladder like seed pods and their attractive symmetrical rosettes of obovate to lance shaped, mid green, often silvery hairy leaves. In summer it bears raceme like clusters of 4 petaled, cross shaped yellow flowers, followed by inflated seed pods. Grow bladderpods in a scree bed. They are intolerant of excessive winter moisture.
Grow in moderately fertile, gritty, sharply drained soil in full sun.
Prone to slugs, snails, aphids, and spider mites.
P. didymymocarpa – This rosette forming perennial from Western North America grows 3-4″ tall and 6″ wide. It produces obovate, silver gray leaves, to 1 ½” long, with a suede like texture. In summer it bears open clusters of cross shaped, bright yellow flowers, 3/4″ across, followed by large, inflated, gray hairy seed pods, to ½” long.
Zones 5-8
