Erysimum

Hey all,

It would appear one of my Erysimum Bowles Mauve bushes has decided to start dying, It was planted at the same time as the healthy one (about 19 months ago).



I am going to leave it in place until next spring, but am thinking of replacing it with the Erysimum Apricot Twist.

Can anyone advise on the following, will the Apricot Twist flower all year like the Bowles Mauve, and is it as appealing to the bees and butterflies?

Cheera

 

Hi Alex

My Bowles Mauve is about the same age as yours and it looks like it's started dying too. I still have the label for it and it says that it's a short lived perennial. I had a quick Google and plenty of sites say it only lives for 2-3 years but is easy to replace from cuttings.

I also had Apricot Twist which was growing in a container. I don't think it liked it there and probably would have been better in a border.

Both of them attract bees in my garden but I think BM is far superior as far as bees and butterflies go. AT flowered well and for a long time but you might have better luck with it if it's planted in a border. I'm definitely replacing my BM if it doesn't make it through the winter as I love them!

 

Erysimum Stars and Stripes
Mine is a year old and looks like it's dead. It's planted in a large barrel planter and I protected it with fleece all winter but it looks beyond help. Is it common for a one year old plant to just die? When I bought it the information said it was a quite a hardy species.

 

My BM flowered continuously for 12 months, then gave up and died. I don't think any of the others flower as well for so long and are not quite so hardy.

 

I have 3 Bowles Mauve planted in big pots in April 2012 and they haven't stopped flowering since. Extraordinary plant. I planted them in rubbish clayey soil.

 

Mine have lasted two years tops... Actually just bought two more today to replace mine