Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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Monday - March 13, 2006
From: Leicestershire, UK, Other
Region: Other
Topic: Non-Natives, Diseases and Disorders
Title: Problems getting desert western US plant Stanleya pinnata to bloom in England
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I am having trouble getting my Princes plume (Stanleya pinnata) to produce a flower and then go to seed. Do you have any advice on triggering flowering in this plant?ANSWER:
Golden prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) is native to the desert western U. S. As such, it requires lots of sun and low humidity to prosper, so I am surprised you could get it to grow successfully in England. It is found in selenium-rich soils. Selenium often occurs in areas together with uranium. In fact, the presence of the prince's plume plants has been used to locate uranium deposits by prospectors because of the plant's association with selenium and selenium's occurrence with uranium.
So, it may be a combination of factors keeping your plant from blooming--not enough sunlight, high humidity, and lack of soil minerals.
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