Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It showed up one year in early Spring (March) and looked soooo pretty and cheerful. I may have even helped it spread via the seed pods after the blooms were finished...
Long story short, it's taking over!!! Not only in my lawn (I can live with that), but creeping into spots where my different geraniums etc., etc. grow
Apparently it is a kind of bulb, but I have way too many to pull them individually or even dig them up - solutions anyone??
Thanks in advance!!
P.S. It took me years to identify this plant - most people in my area had never seen a plant like it--lucky me LOL
Last edited by Elke Mariotti; 04-27-2009 at 03:52 PM..
Reason: added comment
Elke, I tried for years in two different gardens to get winter aconite to establish and absolutely could not do it, no way, nohow! I think one year I got a half dozen flowers out of 10 or 12 bulbs and that was the last I ever saw of them. The next time I got more bulbs and tried them in different soil conditions/sun .... same result. One wimpy season and bam! gone.
Where are yours spreading? If I could duplicate your conditions maybe it would finally grow for me!
Technically they grow from a corm/tuber, btw .... rather like anemones do... but "bulbs" is close enough.
Elke, I tried for years in two different gardens to get winter aconite to establish and absolutely could not do it, no way, nohow! I think one year I got a half dozen flowers out of 10 or 12 bulbs and that was the last I ever saw of them. The next time I got more bulbs and tried them in different soil conditions/sun .... same result. One wimpy season and bam! gone.
Where are yours spreading? If I could duplicate your conditions maybe it would finally grow for me!
Technically they grow from a corm/tuber, btw .... rather like anemones do... but "bulbs" is close enough.
Hardy geraniums? One of my favorite plants...
Where are you located? You're on the L.I. forum - maybe I can just give you some - in fact, I'd love to give you lots before they go dormant again.
Also have a scented geranium (pink flowers!) to share
Oh gosh, I dearly wish I could take you up on that offer!!!!..... but as you may recall from my posts on the LI forum, we don't own the house we are currently living in. We're house-sitting my SO's sister's house in Nissequogue while she's abroad and we're house-hunting. It would be very wrong for me to plant anything on her property that she may not want or that might (to her) become a pest.
That's why I was curious as to what your soil, slope, and sun conditions are because obviously the aconites are happy with whatever combination it is; and I'll make a note of that for whenever I get my own garden again!
Oh gosh, I dearly wish I could take you up on that offer!!!!..... but as you may recall from my posts on the LI forum, we don't own the house we are currently living in. We're house-sitting my SO's sister's house in Nissequogue while she's abroad and we're house-hunting. It would be very wrong for me to plant anything on her property that she may not want or that might (to her) become a pest.
That's why I was curious as to what your soil, slope, and sun conditions are because obviously the aconites are happy with whatever combination it is; and I'll make a note of that for whenever I get my own garden again!
Let me know whenever you're ready - have lots of plants to share, and not only winter aconite
BTW, I don't have full sun anywhere (except on my patio) and the winter aconite does not discriminate - full shade to part shade/sun... it's thriving
Thanks, Elke -- I may very well take you up on that offer, someday down the road!
What are your soil conditions like, where the aconites are? For instance if you're up on the North Shore, say north of 25a, you probably have clay and it may well be on the acid side. Do rhodies, azaleas, and other acid loving plants do well for you? If you have hydrangeas, do they reliably have blue flowers without having to dose them with acid fertilizer? My gardens have all been on the South shore which is much less acid and tends toward loam or sandy loam, and even with regular doses of Miracid it was extremely difficult to get a good blue on hydrangeas -- even the "reliables".
So I'm wondering if soil acidity is more key to success with aconites than sun exposure...
How about soil moisture in your garden? Does it tend toward either extreme of either damp or dry? The first time I tried the aconites I put them in moist semi-shade (winter sun/summer shade, near some evergreens and deciduous azaleas) and they failed miserably there. I subsequently put them in a drier (though not "dry"-dry!) area but they weren't happy about conditions there either.
Maybe aconites just don't like the South shore, period??
Thanks, Elke -- I may very well take you up on that offer, someday down the road!
What are your soil conditions like, where the aconites are? For instance if you're up on the North Shore, say north of 25a, you probably have clay and it may well be on the acid side. Do rhodies, azaleas, and other acid loving plants do well for you? If you have hydrangeas, do they reliably have blue flowers without having to dose them with acid fertilizer? My gardens have all been on the South shore which is much less acid and tends toward loam or sandy loam, and even with regular doses of Miracid it was extremely difficult to get a good blue on hydrangeas -- even the "reliables".
So I'm wondering if soil acidity is more key to success with aconites than sun exposure...
How about soil moisture in your garden? Does it tend toward either extreme of either damp or dry? The first time I tried the aconites I put them in moist semi-shade (winter sun/summer shade, near some evergreens and deciduous azaleas) and they failed miserably there. I subsequently put them in a drier (though not "dry"-dry!) area but they weren't happy about conditions there either.
Maybe aconites just don't like the South shore, period??
You mean winter aconite's a snob??
Yes, I would say my soil tends toward more clay, but it's been improved over the many years that the previous (only) owner took care of it - compost, mulch, etc. Unfortunately, my rhodies, azaleas and mountain laurels are not doing so well lately--I'll have to try feeding some acid.
After the first summer, I had sprinklers put in, so wet/dry isn't an issue. However, I have so much winter aconite that you can try again and again and always get more from me
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not only in my lawn (I can live with that), but creeping into spots where my different geraniums etc., etc. grow 
Elke, I tried for years in two different gardens to get winter aconite to establish and absolutely could not do it, no way, nohow! I think one year I got a half dozen flowers out of 10 or 12 bulbs and that was the last I ever saw of them. The next time I got more bulbs and tried them in different soil conditions/sun .... same result. One wimpy season and bam! gone.
One of my favorite plants...
- in fact, I'd love to give you lots 
