National Council for The Conservation of Plants and Gardens
National Collection of the Genus Codonopsis and Allied Genera
Codonopsis bhutanica
Although over the years we have thought we were growing it, every time except once it turned out to be C.clematidea. The one time that we did flower it we managed to plant it in exactly the wrong place and lost it after one season! It is an attractive little scrambling plant with small leaves and lovely straight sided bells, rather reminiscent of a bluebell in shape, with dark maroon markings internally and pale maroon externally.
When we were granted National Collection status this was one of the species we targeted and we have now been donated plants by two kind people. We look forward to seeing them flower and collect seed of course ( the best way of keeping a plant going, especially when it has proved tricky in the past).
Finally, in July 2021, we witnessed a flowering and what an exquisite flower it is. We raised this from seed sown in early 2019 and intend to grow it on for another year before deciding where to grow it. These wonderful photographs were taken by our friend, Mike Ireland, who rushed round to take these as soon as we told him!
Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal
©Mike Ireland
©Mike Ireland
©Mike Ireland