Description
This amazing Japanese alpine has arguably one of the most beautiful and perfectly poised flowers in the alpine world. These are as large, if not larger than other common, garden forms, yet they are held on the shortest plants, very early in the spring. It is a, clump-forming, high alpine plant which makes small rhizomes which in turn make beautiful tight cushions (in good light) of silver-grey-green leaves which are dissected into feathery, deeply cut lobes. The top growth is seldom over 10cm high in good light. Dicentra peregrina is the only member of its genus that is found outside of North America (if you discount the atypical, rather weird, massive, invasive, climbing, yellow species D. scandens from the Himalaya)
The hanging flowers are typically Dicentra-shaped, around 2cm long which are borne in small racemes of 2-3 flowers in spring and early summer. The flowers have two tiny sepals and four petals which can be anything from white or cream through to pink, rose and purple-red shades , some rare forms even have yellowish petals. The outermost petals have a basal pouch and reflexed tips whilst the inner petals are long and protruding, connected at the end.
This grows in the high Alps of Japan and its range runs along the Kuril Islands to Sakhalin and into Kamchatka and eventually Siberia. It favours bare, exposed gravel soils, in the mountains at very high altitude, mostly in excess of 3,000m.
We have had the best result when this is grown in a very open and exposed site in the fullest sun available. It’s a true, high alpine so it needs high light levels and a long, cold winter dormancy. These are essential and it is best if it starts into growth as late as possible, when light levels are higher. It shouldn’t be started early in the year, when light levels are low and weather, even under glass means muggy, humid air. If its given too much heat in winter it will grow too early, etiolate and eventually fail. Outside it benefits from being in something like a raised bed or crevice garden, near a decent sized stone that will keep its roots shaded but the drainage and other conditions must be right. It will not succeed if just dumped in a rock garden with your fingers crossed.
Regardless of where you grow it the soil or compost MUST be sharply-drained. Gritty and gravelly is best though a little humus is essential to retain a touch of moisture in the growing season. The soil should never dry out but at the same time it needs good drainage and the humus really mustn’t be too much. Japanese growers use the volcanic, bonsai material “Kanuma soil” to great effect for this plant as it balances water-retention with good drainage. It is available in the UK and is good. Pumice and other porous volcanic growing media are useful substitutes. None of these are essential but they do make success more likely. We have also had great success by keeping these in a refrigerator, until May, then planting them out with our Cypripedium which are grown here in a pumice and volcanic soil-based compost.
A challenging plant, not one for beginners. You will have the best chance with these propagated, nursery produced specimens.
