Description
Onosma –
There are about 150 species of semi evergreen, biennial and often woody based perennials and sub shrubs in this genus. They occur in sunny, rocky sites, often in rock crevices from the Mediterranean to Turkey. They are grown for their nodding cymes of narrowly tubular shaped flowers, mainly yellow, pink, red, or white. The simple, alternate, tongue like leaves are covered in stiff fine prickly hairs, with which may irritate skin. Grow in a scree bed, or in a rock or wall crevices, in wet climates.
Grow in full sun in a very gritty scree bed, or grow plants on their sides in vertical wall or rock crevices. Protect from excessive rainfall.
Prone to aphids and whiteflies.
O. alborosea – This semi evergreen, clump forming perennial from Southwestern Asia grows 6-12″ tall and 8-10″ wide. From white hairy, branching stems it carries gray green leaves, which are spoon to lance shaped or obovate to oblong, and 2 ½” long. In summer it bears congested, terminal cymes of drooping, narrowly tubular shaped white flowers, to 1 1/4″ long, the petal tips quickly darken to pink and sometimes mature to deep purple or violet blue and appear for a long period during summer.
Zones 7-9
