Lewisia leeana

Lewisia leeana (orth. var. L. leana) is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name quill-leaf lewisia. It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Ranges. This is a perennial herb growing from narrow, woody taproot connected to one or more caudices. It produces a basal rosette of many fleshy flat to cylindrical blunt-tipped leaves up to 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence bears many flowers on erect, branching stems up to about 24 centimeters tall. Each flower has 5 to 8 white, pink, or purplish petals each about half a centimeter long. This plant is named for Lambert Wilmer Lee, who collected it in the Siskiyou Mountains just south of the Oregon border in 1876. It commonly hybridizes with Lewisia cotyledon in the wild, producing Lewisia x whiteae.

Characteristics

Plant Type

Herb

Life Cycle

Perennial

Genus

Lewisia

Family

Montiaceae

Hardiness Zone

5-8

Mature Height

5 cm to 15 cm

Mature Spread

10 cm to 20 cm

Leaf Color

Green, Dark Green

Leaf Type

Deciduous

Flower Color

Pink, White

Flower Size

2.03 cm to 3.05 cm

Bloom Time

Mid spring, Late spring, Early summer

Planting Time

Spring, Summer

Harvest Time

Summer

Tags (6)

Common Names (1)