Plant
of the Month
|
 |
April 2004
Pulsatilla
halleri 'Budapest'
by Harold
McBride
 |
|
Pulsatilla halleri 'Budapest'
© Mr. Harold McBride
|
There are around 30 species of Pulsatilla that
frequent mountains in Europe, Asia and North America.
However, only about 20 are regularly seen in cultivation.
Without doubt one of the most sought after and admired
members of the genus is Pulsatilla halleri Budapest.
The true form of this plant is now very rare in cultivation,
although many impostors exist. They are usually seedlings
ex Budapest, and while they are quite delightful, they
rarely have that magic ice-blue colour of the parent.
In 1920, Mrs Dorothy Garton saw some pulsatilla flowers
for sale in Budapest and subsequently discovered they
had come from Suab Hegy, a mountain west of the city.
Later, she was able to collect seed and introduce it
to her garden.
The plant in my possession came from the garden of
the late Dr Molly Sanderson who had in turn obtained
the pulsatilla from Glasnevin Botanical Garden. Glasnevin
are reported to have been gifted Pulsatilla Budapest
by E. B. Anderson, who for some years, lived and gardened
in the Dublin area.
This pulsatilla is very slow to increase by division,
and when given to Alan Furness (Hexam), it gained a
Farrer Medal at an A.G.S. show. Another division was
given to Fred Hunt (Invergowrie). This plant was awarded
a Forrest Medal at a S.R.G.C. (Scottish Rock Garden
Club) show.
There seems to be two separate strains of Pulsatilla
halleri Budapest in cultivation. During the 1930s,
Guy Fenwick gained an Award of Merit, with what was
described as a "lavender suffused with mauve"
form under the name of Pulsatilla var. Budapest.
A painting of this award winning plant is held in the
archives at the RHS Wisley Garden. However, it is clearly
not the luminous soft lavender ice-blue plant, so prized
in our current plants.
Inb 1963, Lady Valerie Finnis obtained a First Class
Certificate for what was described as Pulsatilla
vulgaris var. Budapest. Later Kew Botanic Garden
suggested that this plant was indeed P. halleri.
Two British nurseries, Jack Drake (Aviemore, Scotland)
and Joe Elliott (Cotswolds) sold pulsatillas under the
name of Pulsatilla Budapest during the 1960s
and 70s. These plants resembled the Award
of Merit plant. It is known that this stock came
from Munich Botanic Garden and may very well be a separate
introduction.
I grow Pulsatilla halleri Budapest in a raised
bed, where it appreciates an annual feed with bonemeal.
Each spring at around St Patrick's Day (17th March),
the wonderful blue globes appear from the centre of
large silver, hairy buds. This rare beauty is truly
the "Holy Grail" of pulsatillas.
Contributor
|
 Harold
McBride gardens at Lisburn, Co. Antrim.
His garden is devoted to the cultivation
and propagation of alpine plants. Around
70% of his garden plants have been grown
from seed, many from seed collection by
AGS, SRGC, NZAGS and NARGS.
The garden has featured on many TV programmes
and plant publications, including the Royal
Horticultural Society journal 'The Garden'.
Harold has travelled widely to seek out
plants in many of the world's mountains
and lectures internationally including USA,
New Zealand and many countries of Europe.
He has served as Chairman of the Ulster
Alpine
Garden Society Group and the main AGS
committee. He is currently a Vice President
of the AGS.
|
|
Photo Credits
|
All photos courtesy of Mr. Harold McBride
|
|
[TOP OF PAGE] [BACK
TO INDEX]
|
