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Fox and cubs

Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,264
in Plants
Morning all,

I am thinking of getting some Fox and Cubs (Hieracium aurantiacum) seeds from Chiltern Seeds to sow on a large wildflower mound I have.

Am I mad?

I'm aware they can be invasive, but I saw some growing when we visited Crawick Multiverse a couple of weeks ago and they looked fabulous.

Does anyone grow these?

Bee x


Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
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Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,182
    I love these. I've been watching some of the local clumps carefully hoping to save some seed when it's ripe. I say go for it.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,018
    I disagree.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,482
    I can see why B3 says disagree.
    I think it is one of those plants that if it likes your soil it could take over and be a pain.
    But I think it looks really nice, a local garden here has it through a (slightly rough but cut sometimes) lawn, there is a lot but it does not seem to take over, it has been there for a couple of years now.
    They either take care not to let it take over or it is in a situation where it is being relatively well behaved.
    The soil is heavy clay around here.
    They like it dry and poor?

    Try it in a patch where you can keep an eye on it?
    Worst case scenario if it goes mad you can get rid before it takes over a more precious space.
     
    I want to but have not tried it yet....me= wimp.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 23,159
    I think they would look lovely on a wild flower mound, but keep them out of your borders.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,264
    Thanks for the comments folks,

    The area we garden is about 2 acres, and the wildflower mound is rough and stony subsoil which we were too mean to have taken off site when we built the house.
    The plants would be about 40ft away from any borders, and the whole mound is strimmed each autumn (if we ever get a dry day!) and the strimmings raked up and taken away (and not composted!).

    So, I will get some seed (I could send you some if you like @wild edges) and try and grow some plugs plants to put in one part of the mound. I will monitor as @Rubytoo has suggested.

    They will be competing with quite a lot of other thugs ... including marestail .... so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

    Thanks for your thoughts.

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,182
    Marestail got outcompeted in my garden eventually. It's still there but I hardly notice it now. If I can't get local seed I'll let you know :)
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,012
    I accidentally imported some from my mother's garden a few years ago. I pull the flower heads off sometimes and dig it up when I'm weeding (no one would describe me as diligent on that front). It comes back but it's not really spreading. It's nice and bright and reminds me of Mum, of course, so I am happy enough to carry on haphazardly containing it
    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,264
    No problem @wild edges

    We inherited a solid thicket of marestail here, covering most of two acres. It's mostly kept at bay by mowing, and I pull out any that pops up in the borders. It's rampant on the wildflower mound, and in a couple of other areas.

    It doesn't sound too thuggish then @raisingirl.

    So, I'll be placing an order with Chiltern Seeds this evening. The thing is, to make it worthwhile paying postage I might as well order a few other things whist I'm at it ;)

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,012
    I have clay soil. Don't know if that's relevant, but it likes to hang around in the drier spots here.
    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,264
    We do have clay, but also a lot of rubble mixed in.
    This was the site of a sawmill before we built our house.

    I might live to regret it, but I'm happy to risk it as it it a real cracker at this time of year.


    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
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