Rhamnus

Anne Kilmer viceroy at GATE.NET
Sun May 5 11:03:27 EDT 2002


Nigel Venters wrote:

> Mike,
> 
> Nevertheless....I'm afraid that in the British Isles Rhamnus catharticus is
> only found on Alkaline soils. Much of Ireland has acid soils...there are
> some exceptions including the beautiful "Burren" an area with limestone
> pavement on the West Coast at sea level that has an amazing spring display
> of alpine plants normally found on the mountains of Central Europe. 


Trevor
> was right the plant I recommended to Anne was indeed Red Valerian
> (Centranthus ruber)...I should have looked it up instead of relying on a
> poor memory! Sorry Anne...but we both now know which plant it is!
> 
> Nigel

That's all very well, but the Valerian that the Green-winged White and I 
planted was V. officinalis. ;-) I don't have C. rubris, though I have 
admired it in stone walls and poking out of cracks in houses.
  I wondered about your recommendation, since I have seen more bees than 
butterflies in my Valerian. (Yes, P. napi likes it.) But gosh, Nigel, I 
trusted you. ;-)
Well, I imagine it will either be happy or be compost, and my investment 
is slight.
On the west side of Lough Mask, the lake I look out upon, south of 
Ballinrobe, is a Burren-like area of limestone pavement with grikes 
(cracks in the pavement that act as little hothouses full of improbable 
flowers and ferns) and alpines and all that stuff. I imagine that you, 
Trevor, have investigated it thoroughly. I would expect to find there 
many of the butterflies special to the Burren.
Anne Kilmer
Viceroy
Butterfly Coalition


 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl 
 


More information about the Leps-l mailing list