Hedysarum grandiflorum

Today, few species from the sunny, wind swept rocky hills of Dobrogea region (Romania). There are no plans to collect there again soon, so I suggest to take advantage while possible.

From the ‘to try again’ list: Paronychia cephalotes. Interesting, showy and not often cultivated, the seedlings are not difficult to grow; I even enjoy it in the rockery for a while. Sadly it never went any further. I suspect the limestone based substrate had something to do with it.

Paronychia cephalotes germinated seeds

From the ‘sow while still available’ list, from the same habitat with Paronychia: Minuartia glomerata and Thymus zygioides (and few others not yet germinating).

Minuartia glomerata germinated seeds

Thymus zygioides germinated seeds

I also recommend Hedysarum grandiflorum. My young plants were looking good when last I saw them in late November. The seeds were germinated using the ‘hot water method’ – again, a very useful method for germinating any species within the Fabaceae family.

Paronychia cephalotes

Thymus zygioides

Continuing the Dobrogea I with other species which call this particular and beautiful region home.
I hope you already got a taste of it; this should make it easier when growing some of these species from seeds and also help selecting the garden location.

First a mention for two endemic species:

Campanula romanica:

Campanula romanica growing on a lichen covered rock outcrop, North Dobrogea, Romania

Centaurea jankae: a species with few populations known only to exist in Romania and Bulgaria. Good luck (and broken stems by wind/animals) made it to find a few late flowers to photograph.

Centaurea jankae

Remembering the sunny days of past summer, the flowers, the rocks and wildlife:

Stachys atherocalyx, very similar with Stachys recta that I offered seeds from Carpathian Mts.

Stachys atherocalyx

Hedysarum grandiflorum, as well just one late flowering stem was waiting to be immortalized :)

Hedysarum grandiflorum

Hedysarum grandiflorum habitat

Convolvulus cantabrica, perfect in a rockery and probably hardy in our area (Ontario) with reliable snow covered. I have a two-year old Convolvulus tragacanthodes growing in the rockery, we’ll see how it comes out from this winter.