Saussurea involucrata Seeds | Snow Lotus
LATIN NAME: Saussurea involucrata
COMMON NAME: Snow Lotus, Tian Shan Snow Lotus
Plant Profile
Snow Lotus (Saussurea involucrata) is a low, perennial in the daisy family, native to high, rocky slopes of the central Asia and the himalaya, while it has been used in traditions for a very long time. All of this makes Snow Lotus a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
The snow lotus of the high Tien Shan grows only above roughly 2,400 metres, flowering among rock and glacier margins — an ecology that made it famous in Chinese medicine for rheumatism and ‘cold’ conditions, and nearly extinct in the wild from over-collection. Its studied constituents include rutin, syringin and chlorogenic acid, with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in animal models. It is a nationally protected species in China, and legal supply depends on cultivation. Anyone growing it from seed is participating, in a small way, in taking pressure off the wild populations.
Saussurea involucrata sits in the daisy family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Snow lotus has a real and distinguished place in research. Modern propagation practice has made this species straightforward to raise by ordinary good methods.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Snow Lotus earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Its flowers are pollinated by high-altitude insects, and its low, hardy habit makes it a distinctive plant of alpine ecosystems, while its rarity and its medicinal reputation have made it a plant of conservation concern. To raise snow lotus, sow seeds in pots of gritty, open soil in a cool, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little plants on in the cool. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Snow lotus of the high Himalaya, Xue Lian Hua, is a legendary Chinese tonic for cold-damp pain and vitality, its rarity driving cultivation research; costus root, Mu Xiang, its lowland cousin, is a major qi-moving digestive herb.
Growing from Seed
Snow Lotus grows readily from seed. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
Snow Lotus, Tian Shan Snow Lotus has real presence in the garden without demanding much in return. It is a solid representative of the Saussurea group, true to type from seed. Beginners will find it patient of imperfect technique.
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