Ferula szowitziana seed
LATIN NAME: FERULA SZOWITZIANA
COMMON NAME: Szowitz’s Ferula
The Szowitz ferula torches the tall, stout stems with the huge, flat-topped umbels of the small, yellow flowers, the great, finely divided leaves around the base, and the whole plant carrying the bold, sculptural look of the giant herbs. The stems rise to the full height of a person, the umbels hold the hundreds of the tiny blooms, and the whole plant turns the dry, golden tone through the late summer. The seed heads stand through the autumn, and the plant carries the strong, resinous scent of the ferula family. It is one of the fine giant umbellifers of the dry grasslands, at home in the sun and the sharp-draining ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The giant umbellifers of the dry grasslands have a long record in the plant chemistry, and the Szowitz ferula keeps that tradition alive. The chemists have studied the aromatic oleoresins that the old medicines and the perfumes drew from the group, while the botanists track the remarkable flowering habits and the seed biology. The gardeners who grow the bold, architectural plants follow the species, and the resinous chemistry keeps the researchers coming back.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the dry garden, the Szowitz ferula is the plant that turns the head from the distance. The towering stems and the huge, golden umbels rise above the border, the resinous sap carries the long history of the traditional remedies and the aromatics, and the seed heads feed the finches. The dried stems stand through the winter with their quiet sculpture. Bold, arid-ground architecture with a deep history behind it.
The Szowitz ferula seeds germinate in a gritty, sandy soil kept barely moist in the bright, cool spot. The seedlings rise slowly with the finely divided leaves, and they grow on at their own pace. Plant them out into the sharp-draining ground of the sunny, dry border, and give them the room for the tall stems. They dislike the wet winter feet, so keep the soil on the dry side. The first towering umbels come in the few years, and the plant grows bolder with each season.
To grow the Szowitz ferula from seed, sow the flat, papery seeds sparingly across the surface of the shallow flat of gritty, sandy soil, keep the flat in the bright, cool spot and mist gently. The seedlings emerge within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Plant the young giants into the sharp-draining, sunny ground, and the golden umbels will torch the border through the summer.