Polygala amarella seed

LATIN NAME: Polygala amarella

COMMON NAME: Dwarf Milkwort

The dwarf milkwort winks the small, blue-violet flowers along the slender, wiry stems, the narrow, neat leaves, and the whole plant keeps the dainty, compact look of the chalk and the limestone meadow. The flowers open through the late spring and the early summer, the short spikes of the blooms carry the sweet, subtle scent, and the low, tufted plant hugs the close-cropped ground. It is one of the little wildflowers that the old meadows held, one that the walkers used to pass without a second glance. The plant likes the sun, the thin, chalky soil, and the open, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The milkworts have a long record in the herbal plant science, and the dwarf milkwort appears in the studies of the chalk grassland and the old meadow flora. The researchers look at how the little plant persists under the grazing and the mowing, and the bitter, medicinal roots that the old herbals valued still attract the chemical interest. The conservationists count the plants on the surviving meadows and collect the seed for the grassland restoration, while the phylogenetic work sorts out the large, varied polygala family.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the meadow garden, the dwarf milkwort is a quiet charm. The neat blue flowers wink along the stems through the early summer, feeding the small bees, and the low tufts add the fine texture to the wildflower lawn, the rock garden or the gravel bed. The old herbal reputation of the bitter root lingers in the common names, and the plant carries that history lightly. It is the kind of little wildflower that a meadow garden would feel the loss of.

The dwarf milkwort seeds germinate readily in a light, sandy mix kept barely moist. The seedlings are small and slow, so give them the quiet, cool corner and the patience. Prick them out into the gritty compost once they are big enough to handle, and keep them in the cool, bright spot through the first winter. They transplant best into the chalky, well-drained ground of the rock garden or the gravel bed. The first little blue flowers come in the second season.

To grow the dwarf milkwort from seed, sow the fine, round seeds evenly across the surface of the shallow tray of light, sandy mix, keep the tray in the bright, cool spot and mist gently. The seedlings surface within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly but surely. Plant the little tufts into the chalky, sunny bed, and the small flowers will wink through the summer.