Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Lobelia macrodon syn. Pratia macrodon, or mountain pratia is endemic to the South Island. It is found in subalpine to high alpine regions in grasslands, herbfields, rocky areas, depleted grassland, shrubland, scree margins and fellfields from 700-1900m asl. It is an attractive, creeping, wide-spreading plant that has thick shiny medium green toothed leaves. It has sweetly scented creamy-yellow to creamy-white coloured flowers from December to February that can cover almost the entire plant, hiding the leaves. On a warm day the scent is quiet noticeable from a short distance from the plant. The flowers are followed by purplish green fruit from November to December. It  makes a very good rock garden plant, and will grow best in full sun in scree type soils or in a firm gritty soil that remains reasonably moist. Can suffer slug  and snail damage.




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