Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve'

Hi All,

I have read that these plants take 2 - 5 years to reach their ultimate height of 0.5 to 1m.

My 2 have reached 1m within a year of planted and are putting on a very good display, however they seem to be in the process of also self destructing. Large parts of the bush seem to be splitting away from itself. I assume this is because it is now very top heavy.

apart from the accelerated growth, is it normal for these plants to get top heavy and damage themselves.

I fear that by the end of the summer they will need replacing.

Cheers

 

Yes, I find this as well. You could try putting some plant supports round them to avoid the splitting. It might be that this is one of those plants that deteriorates over time without actually dying off. You could try cutting out shoots as they finish flowering to reduce the weight on the crown.

 

I think they do better in poor soil. Your soil may be too rich for them.

I planted mine in pots with rubbish soil in April 2012. They're less than 18" high and have continued flowering, without stop, since that time. I never thought there was anything that flowered continuously for 12 months, let alone, over 24 months.