Pasque flower - a flower with decorative value, most often grown in gardens and parks. In the past, it was protected in the territory of Poland in its natural habitat. Is it still possible to find it somewhere and where is the pasque-flower? We will answer these questions in the article below.
In addition, you will learn what they look like and when pasque flowers bloom. Many of them are grown as ornamental plants. If you are considering planting them in your home garden, you can read whether growing a pasture is too demanding for your area.
Pasque: description
In the Polish flora there are and are known: pasque-flower, pasque-flower, pasque-flower, pasque-flower and spring pasque-flower. The representative of the species is the pasque-flower, which is now considered extinct in our country.
Pasque flowers bloom already in early spring. In warmer regions of western Poland, flowers appear in March. In colder climates, they bloom in April. In mountainous areas, e.g. in the Giant Mountains, the pasque-flower blooms even in June. The flowers may not fully develop until summer.
Gardeners have grown many hybrids of the pasque-flower genus. The varieties most often have purple flower colors, like a representative of the species. However, there are varieties with purple (Rubra), white (Alba), jagged (Papageno) and white, full-flowered (Polka) petals. The most popular variety is the garden pasque-flower (Pulsatilla × hybrida). Pasque-flowers with milk flowers are more difficult to cultivate. They may also die earlier.
Pasque flower in garden cultivation has different color varieties. Flower petals are bluish purple, heather, red, white or maroon. It is a naturally occurring species in the Balkans and Austria. In European countries it is under strict protection.
A plant can have several dozen flowers during one season. They appear gradually. Flowers with felt hair on the outside are characteristic for pasque flowers. Initially, they have the form of a bell hanging downwards, then they open fully. Over time, the plant becomes more naked and hairless. The pasque-flower can produce another single flower even in August. After flowering, the inflorescences of the pasque-flower in the shape of a down ball are still a decorative value.
Representative of the species - pasque-flower forms clumps up to 20-30 centimeters in height. Underground, the plant has a highly branched rhizome with numerous stems. Each of them ends with a flower. She also has silvery hair. The whole pasque-flower is a slightly poisonous plant. The symptoms of poisoning cause excitation and paralysis of the central nervous system. People who have eaten any part of the plant may feel nauseous and intoxicated.
Sasanka: where is it?
Pasque flower grows wild in the mountain areas of central and western Europe. In Poland, it lived in its natural habitat in the Lublin region. Currently considered extinct. Its hybrids can be found in garden crops, they are also planted in parks. They are appreciated by gardeners due to the relatively early flowering period. The obtained varieties have different color of flowers, and they also look beautiful after flowering.
Under natural conditions, the pasture grew over sunny mountain slopes, dry meadows and pine forests. Therefore, it is recommended to plant these flowers in rock gardens, so that they resemble their native conditions. Often, pasque-flowers are grown in clumps near fences, gazebos and houses. They grow well when planted near stone structures, low walls, and also along paths.
Pasque flower: cultivation
Sasanka is a heliophyte - it needs a lot of light to grow. It grows best in full sun or light shade.It prefers light and sandy soil. It does well in dry and poor soil. Mature plants have an extensive root system that copes well in mountain conditions with poor access to water. However, it needs drainage - a permeable, rocky substrate. The soil for growing pasque-flower should be neutral or slightly alkaline, it can be limed.
The best way to reproduce pasque-flower is to sow seeds. In summer, after the heat has ceased, sowing is carried out. Sprouted plants are obtained after about a month. Next spring, they need to be repotted to a permanent place. Flowers obtained in this way do not most often repeat the characteristics of the mother plant. The seeds can be dispersed by wind.
Pasque: care
Pasque flower grown in a garden dies up to five years after planting in solid ground. The more sophisticated it is - the different color and shape of the petals, the faster the plant will fade. It may even die three years after planting.If you want to constantly enjoy the beauty of decorative spring flowers, you have to dig them in other places yourself.
An easy way to breed pasque-flower is to divide their overgrown clumps. With time, there is a strong growth of rhizomes, so regular care should be thinning them, digging them up and planting in another place. It is best to separate clumps of at least 20 centimeters from each other.
Pasque-flowers are resistant to water shortage and frost. In order to obtain beautifully flowering plants, conditions must be created that resemble natural ones. The garden cultivation of pasque-flowers does not require fertilization. In autumn, there is no need to trim the shoots or remove the dry parts of the plant.
Sasanka: is she under protection?
In Poland, all species of pasque-flower occurring in their natural state are under protection:
- Alpine pasque-flower grows on the slopes of Babia Góra, Karkonosze and Tatra National Park. It is under species protection, but it is not threatened with extinction,
- pasque flower meadow is under strict protection. It is threatened with extinction due to the fact that shrubs and trees are growing on the grass of meadows. Agricultural activity in the area where this species occurs is not conducive to the development of rhizomes,
- The pasque-flower has occurred in Poland in mountainous areas. Its population has decreased over the years. It obtained the category of the threat of extinction. In the years 2012-2014 it was under strict species protection. However, the species could not be saved. According to the Polish Red Book of Plants and the Red List of Plants and Fungi of Poland, it was considered a lost species and then extinct in the wild,
- open pasque-flower - bellflower - under strict species protection in Poland. Considered a low-risk species in 2001, dying out in 2006, the pasque-flower was described as a species threatened with extinction in the following years. The plant is also covered by the Habitats Directive.She is not favored by agricultural activities, picking flowers and transplanting them to private gardens,
- Slovak pasque-flower grows in Poland only in the area of the Tatra National Park, where it is under strict protection. In addition, it is protected by the Berne Convention and the Habitats Directive. Its seeds are stored in a gene bank,
- spring pasque-flower - also under strict species protection. It is threatened by tourist traffic in the Tatra Mountains, and in the lowlands - forest management destroying its positions.
