Rouge, I have grown this and really, really loved it. I grew the variety called Pierre. I decided just this year, after about 3 or 4 years, to change to a different groundcover because I don't think Pierre was in the right spot!

The area I had it in was bright shade, with a blast of late day summer sun. I think what finally did it in was the dryness of the area. This is an extremely dry bed. After last summer, I lost most of it, sadly. I do still have a small patch but have decided to try something different for this particular area.

However, if you have moister soil than I did in this spot (and I think EVERYONE has moister soil than this spot, lol!) I think you will be happy with it.

I had a large swath of it - probably about 12 to 15 feet by four feet, sloping up the side of a raised bed, and it really was gorgeous in bloom. And then looked good for the rest of the year as well (unless we had a drought....)

Dee

Thanks so much for your detailed reply Dee...excellent information. I think my location may well be too dry :(. But it may still be worth the experiment.

I have mine in full building shade with consistently moist soil and it is about to burst with blooms. I will upload some pics for you to get a look at it in bloom. Like Dee, I also have 'Pierre,' which clumps rather than spreads via rhizomes like the species. This makes it much easier to keep in bounds. The flowers are purportedly bigger than the species, too.

It tends to bloom as long as the weather isn't oppressive. Once the dog day heat of summer comes it sort of shuts down but it will often produce another show in late summer/early fall when the weather starts to cool. It stays somewhat evergreen in winter but the leaves get pretty ragged looking by January. Overall, an underused plant for woodsy shade.

I do look forward to seeing your pictures mistascott when they do bloom.

I have a cultivar as well, but it's not Pierre, and I don't remember the name. It spreads modestly and restrainedly, and is not a dense groundcover, so it could never be considered weed suppressing. The blooms are large, and the entire plant is a lovely addition to the shade garden. It's in bright, dappled shade.

I tried to find pictures too - I'm sure I must have taken a photo of that lovely swath of yellow, but I spent over half an hour yesterday going through my computer to no avail. So I'm glad mistascott will post some for all of us to enjoy!

Laceyvail, perhaps you had Allen Bush?

Gee, after this thread, I'm thinking about getting some more and putting it in a more hospitable spot. It really is a nice little groundcover - and different! It always got comments from people walking down the street, asking what it was.

Dee

Hmmm. i don't think it's Alan Bush; perhaps it is Pierre.

As promised, Mr.'Pierre' was looking great today.

Full but bright moist shade. Rooted from a cutting last August and has clumped up nicely. It was a little late getting started this Spring, but when it did, it went crazy.

I have heard differing accounts of how well it takes dry conditions. Definitely worth a look though.

Very nice. Thank you for the picture 'mista'. If I can source this plant I will give one a try.

Are there any obvious differences between "Allen Bush" and "Pierre"? They look so similar to me (from pictures).

(I can source "Allen Bush").

Hmm, Bluestone used to have both, but I don't see them on their site today. Maybe they are out of stock and will have more in the fall... although I'm guessing you don't want to wait that long. :)

Dee

Apparently, the entire species is clump-forming, not just 'Pierre.' Hard to tell the difference between cultivars, honestly. Chrysogonum australe is stoloniferous.