Lewisias, also known as cliff maids, are plants that grow in cracks and crevices and will thrive in gaps in a stone wall, displaying colourful flowers in spring and early summer.
Low-growing perennials, they form a rosette of fleshy leaves. The flowers are held singly or in a branched inflorescence and can be incredibly vibrant, especially in the strains and hybrids selected to highlight the bright colours found in wild species.
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Lewisia is a genus of around 16 species from the western side of North America, particularly the Rocky Mountains, Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada. They are usually found on rocky slopes, screes or in crevices on vertical cliffs, where the summers are dry.
Jump to:
- How to grow and care for lewisia
- Where to plant lewisia
- How to propagate lewisia
- The best lewisia varieties
- Where to see and buy lewisia
Lewisia rediviva, the state flower of Montana, is one of the most beautiful in the genus. This is one of the deciduous species, going dormant in summer, but in spring it produces wide, almost stemless, solitary, soft-pink flowers, up to 7.5cm across with up to 19 petals.
Bitterroot is another common name for lewisias and it comes from this plant, referring to the taste of the fleshy rootstock, which is eaten by indigenous Americans. This remarkable plant has been known to regrow from pressed herbarium specimens but although very tough, it will not survive a wet summer outside. The evergreen species, and the hybrids derived from them, are much more amenable to outdoor cultivation, as long as the soil drains freely.
A dry-stone wall, whether free-standing or supporting a raised bed, is the perfect place to grow lewisias
How to grow and care for lewisia
The easiest to grow and most colourful is Lewisia cotyledon. Its flat, evergreen rosettes are made up of long, wavy-edged leaves and the branching flower stems can reach 30cm tall, with many flowers. These flowers are 2-4cm across and come in shades of purplish pink, red, white, cream, pale orange and yellow, often with darker stripes.
If you want to try some lewisias in your garden, L. cotyledon is the one to start with. This is a tough plant that will survive as long as it doesn’t sit in damp soil and water is kept away from the crown. Grow it with saxifrages, alpine phloxes such as Phlox douglasii, alyssums, sedums and sempervivums. They will add some dazzling colours to the spring display.
Plant lewisias in a location where excess rain can easily drain away. You can plant them vertically in the gaps in a stone wall or at the top of a wall with the rosettes at an angle to avoid water collecting in the crown of the plant.
If you have a rock garden, you can plant them between rocks in the same way. You can also grow them in pots of free-draining soil. They like a sunny position but do best when sheltered from the hot, midday summer sun.
Early spring and autumn are ideal times to plant lewisias. You can plant lewisias bought in pots at any time, but avoid hot, dry days and cold, wet conditions.
In spring they will just be starting into growth and in autumn they will benefit from the warmth in the soil to get settled in before winter arrives. These are not plants for normal border conditions and if your plant arrives in a large pot, tip it out and remove some of the soil before planting in a suitable location or replace the soil with a gritty, free-draining mix in a container.
How to plant lewisias
Be careful not to plant too deeply. The crown of the plant should be just above soil level. In a pot, use a mulch of sharp grit to keep the leaves away from the soil surface. Once planted, give them plenty of water while in growth, then ease off as summer arrives. Lewisias are hardy plants, surviving at least -10oC, but wet conditions will quickly kill them off.
Where to plant lewisias
Growing lewisias in a cool, well-ventilated glasshouse or coldframe will allow you to control the amount of water they receive. This is important for the deciduous species as they need very little moisture when they are dormant in summer. Lewisiopsis tweedyi also does best in these conditions.
Lewisia cotyledon is a tough plant that will survive as long as it doesn’t sit in damp soil
If you grow them in terracotta pots plunged in sand almost to their rim, you can water the sand so just enough moisture passes through the pot to prevent the soil drying out completely, without having to water the pot directly. Many alpines are grown this way by enthusiasts and this method is perfectly suited to the more sensitive Lewisia species.
How to propagate lewisia
Lewisias are easy to propagate. Some species, such as L. cotyledon, will produce offsets at the base of the plant. These can be removed with a knife in spring and treated as cuttings. Insert them into sandy soil and keep moist until roots grow, then pot them up individually to grow on.
You can also grow lewisias from seed. The shiny, black seeds should be sown in winter as they need a cold spell to germinate. Sow them in small pots and cover with grit or vermiculite and keep moist. Evergreen species and hybrids can be potted up when large enough to handle, but the deciduous species should be left for a year before disturbing them.
Fact file: Lewisias in brief
What Low-growing, rosette- forming, alpine plants from rocky habitats. With evergreen or deciduous leaves, their colourful flowers are either held singly or in a branched inflorescence. Commonly known as bitterroot or cliff maids. Lewisia is genus of around 16 species in the Montiaceae family.
Season Flowers in spring
and early summer.
Size Around 5-30cm tall with a spread of up to 30cm. Conditions Grow in a wall, rock garden or alpine
house; in sun or part shade. Origins Mountains of western North America.
Hardiness Hardy throughout most of the UK with an RHS hardiness rating of H4 and suitable for gardens in USDA zones 4a to 8b.
*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.
The best lewisia varieties
Lewisia cotyledon (magenta shades)
Lewisia cotyledon (semi double apricot form)
Lewisia cotyledon (orange shades)
Lewisia cotyledon (ruby)
Lewisia cotyledon ‘White Splendour’
Lewisiopsis tweedyi ‘Alba’
Lewisia hybrid (yellow shades)
Lewisia columbiana ‘Rosea’
Lewisia cotyledon var. heckneri
Lewisia cotyledon ‘Brannan Bar’
Lewisia pygmaea
Lewisiopsis tweedyi
Where to see and buy lewisia
- Aberconwy Nursery Glan Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, LL28 5TL, Tel 01492 580875, aberconwynursery.co.uk
- Ashwood Nurseries Ashwood Lower Lane, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY60AE. Tel01384401996, ashwoodnurseries.com
- D’Arcy & Everest Meadowsweet Nursery, Pidley Sheep Lane (B1040), Somersham, Cambridgeshire PE28 3FL. Tel 01480 497672, darcyeverest.co.uk
Richard Wilford is head of garden design at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew