Lathraea clandestina (Purple toothwort)

I have been trying without success to find a supplier of Lathraea clandestina (Purple toothwort). Can anyone help please?

 

This is one of the best sites around for herbs and wildflowers, but it doesn't seem to have it either, sorry..... http://www.barwinnock.com/common-herbs/index.htm

I'd suggest contacting them and asking for help - they do know their onions, so to speak!

 

Viable seeds of toothwort are very difficult to track down and I can't remember them ever being offered by a commercial seedsman. It is a parasitic plant that has no green foliage - the true leaves being reduced to scale-like white bracts below soil-level. Lathraeas are specialists - each species needing certain types of tree on which they can grow. L. clandestina is a parasite on the roots of Salix, Populus and very rarely Alder and seeds must be sprinkled at the base of these trees in order for them to grow.

As a parasite it is relatively weak and its presence does not diminish or restrict the growth of a host tree. If seeds are acquired they must be sown immediately. The ideal method is to vigorously rake around the base of a willow or poplar so that the fibrous surface roots of the tree are visible. Sprinkle the seeds over the area and gently firm the soil down. With luck, some will fall sufficiently close to a live host root for them to send out haustoria that invade the roots and allows the seedlings to develop.

Unfortunately, they can take between 5 - 8 years before the first flowers appear and unless they are in flower, you would not know they are there. This of course means that following a sowing, you have an extremely long wait before you discover that it has been successful. I once received a largish clump in flower, which I split into smaller pieces and placed at the base of a line of poplars I had on my nursery. The clumps survived long enough for seed to set and self-sow. It took another 7 years before I saw the first hints of purple around one or two trees. Once they have reached flowering size, they take a very long time to develop into large clumps and they don't always flower ever year.

 

Wow - what a super description, just had to do a search to see what this amazing parasite looks like. I can see the fascination! It is absolutely stunning...and I can see now that it would be well worth the wait!

Good luck in your search!