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Berberidaceae FAMILY

Leontice leontopetalum

Leontice leontopetalum

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Succeeds in an ordinary well-drained soil[1]. Plants require plenty of moisture during their winter-spring growing period and then a warm dry rest period in the summer[2]. In cool moist temperate climates they are best grown in a bulb frame and kept completely dry in the summer[3]. They can succeed outdoors in warm dry areas[3]. The tuber should not be covered when planting[1]. This is a strange report when considered against the report that seeds pull themselves down 15 - 30cm into the soil when they germinate - see below.

Propagation

Seed - sow 3 - 4 seeds in each pot of deep soil in a greenhouse, covering the seed with 2cm of soil. It germinates in the autumn and pulls itself down 15 - 30cm deep into the soil before the first leaves appear in the spring[4, 3]. If necessary, thin the plants to the best one in each pot and grow them on for at least three years in their pots before trying them outdoors. Give regular weak liquid feeds to ensure that the plants do not become nutrient deficient. Plants are very slow growing and can take several years before they first flower[2]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Leontice+leontopetalum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  2. [2]The Genus Epimedium and other Herbaceous Berberidaceae — Stearn. W. T. · The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. · 2002 · ISBN 1 84246 039 0 ↩︎An excellent book covering all the herbaceous members of the Berberidaceae. Gives cultivation details as well as detailed botanical descriptions. Very well illustrated with photographs, paintings and line drawings.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. — ? · Royal Horticultural Society · 1982 · ISBN - ↩︎Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants, including Distylium racemosum and some perennial members of the family Berberidaceae.
  5. [5]Flowers of the Mediterranean. — Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. · Hogarth Press · 1987 · ISBN 0-7012-0784-1 ↩︎A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
  6. [6]Bulbs — Phillips. R. and Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30253-1 ↩︎Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
  7. [7]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.