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Re: Centranthus ruber

Sean A. O'Hara wrote:
> 
> >Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 18:45:50 -0700 (PDT)
> >From: Cyndi Norman <cnorman@best.com>
> >To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> >Subject: Centranthus ruber
> >    <snip>
> > My real question is about it being invasive.  Sunset starts off it's
> > description by saying: "Rank, invasive, and much malgined."  This is not a
> > good sign.  I like it but I don't want to add to a regional weed problem
> > (where weed is defined as a non-native plant taking over native space).
> > Where is it native to?
> >
> > Should I grow it?
> 
> Hi Cyndi -
> 
> Personally, I can't decide either about this plant.  I do like the flowers.
> They are very useful to grow in areas that will support little else.  It
> also has the common name of 'railroad weed' in our area.  The white form is
> very classic looking - the clear, creamy white flowers and the cool,
> slightly grey green foliage.  The 'red' is actually an interesting shade of
> brick or coral red, and combines well with salmons, corals, and sunset
> colors.  The pink is also nice.  They make a nice filler for bouquets.  I
> have seen massive specimens in full blooms among other, more refined plants
> in some of the most famous English perennial borders!

Hi
This plant in  all its colour forms is a common wayside plant around the
rail lines running out of Wellington, where it certainly looks very
attractive in early summer. 

My British flora says it is a true mediterranean native and in Britain
is freely naturalised "on old walls, cliffs, dry banks and waste
places". While many introduced plants here are posing a threat to our
naturally-damp native bush, this is not likely to be one of them, though
it could possibly menace some of our rather special cliff flora.
However, I have mainly seen it on truely waste ground, where it is
really very decorative and probably harmless.

The coloured variations are seldom seen in cultivation here, but the
white form has some populatity for cottage-type plantings. I myself
really like the red form and have grown it successfully  from  collected
seed on a dry bank. I should like to try the pink variation too some
time. My red plant seems to be reliably perennial so far.

Moira
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Both Retired. Careers were: Moira - botanist/horticulturist; 
Tony - Various jobs, then computer programmer.
Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
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