Alpine Garden Society

Ulster Group

Plant of the Month, October 2007
Codonopsis convolvulacea alba - by Margaret Glynn
In its home ground (China, Sichuan and Yunnan), the tubers grow 2000 - 4000m in open situations and woodland edges.
This delicate looking climber and twiner here shares two cool, well-drained troughs with other alpines, bulbs and dwarf shrubs. The leaves are hard to describe but the 7-8cm., luminous white star-like flowers are show-stoppers.
It twines so unobtrusively over the shrubs that only in flower does this stunning member of the campanulaceae become obvious and of really appealing late-summer interest.