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Cerastium tomentosum var. columnae - seeds
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Dispatch by letter from 3,90 €.
Delivery charge from 5,90 € Oversize package delivery charge from 6,90 €.
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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty
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We guarantee the quality of our plants for a full growing cycle, and will replace at our expense any plant that fails to recover under normal climatic and planting conditions.
Seed-only orders are dispatched by sealed envelope. The delivery charge for seed-only orders is 3,90 €.
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Cerastium tomentosum var. columnae, better known as Mouse Ear or Snow-in-Summer, is a creeping perennial with spreading stems that quickly forms an elegant grey and fluffy carpet. Its compound foliage of fine leaves usually persists in winter. In spring or summer, depending on the region, the carpet is adorned with a multitude of white flowers. It is a low and particularly floriferous variety, ideal for covering large areas in poor and dry soil. This Cerastium excels in rockeries, bordering flower beds, or in flower pots where it forms an ideal companion plant.
The Mouse Ear is a very hardy plant native to Italy and Sicily, with a wide distribution range in the mountains of Asia Minor and southern and eastern Europe. This species, which is highly variable in the wild, has allowed the selection of certain wild forms such as 'columnae', which is more compact and floriferous than the type, with more silvery foliage. This perennial plant has a truly carpeting habit and a running growth that allows it to quickly colonise an almost unlimited surface. It will not exceed 10 cm high. Its fluffy, mouse-grey foliage consists of small leaves which are slightly more silvery than that of Cerastium tomentosum, the common Snow-in-Summer found in gardens. Its growth is very vigorous, spreading thanks to its rootstock. In May-June, countless small white flowers appear and cover the foliage.
Cerastium tomentosum var. columnae prefers dry and sunny locations with well-drained, preferably limestone soils. It is a drought-tolerant plant that dislikes stagnant moisture. Place it on top of walls or in the gaps formed by their stones, in rockeries of course, but also along a staircase, accompanied by thymes or dwarf artemisia 'Nana', for example. On a slope, it also pairs well with perennials and shrubs that thrive in dry soil (lavenders, rockroses, rosemary, brooms, garden valerian), which it will allow to emerge from its carpet while protecting them from weeds. It is perfect for growing in pots on your terraces and balconies, where it will escape and create living curtains. Its use in green roofs is highly recommended.
Flowering
Foliage
Plant habit
Botanical data
Sow Mouse Ear from February to April in a warm (18°C) mini-greenhouse, in a tray or a pot with a seed compost. Sow from April to June (depending on the climate and region) directly in well-prepared and refined soil. Mix compost and sand with the garden soil if necessary. Sow lightly, barely covering the seeds. Keep the compost slightly moist.
For indoor sowing, transplant into pots (9 cm in diameter) with multi-purpose compost. Allow the seedlings to grow by watering regularly, but not excessively. When the roots of the young plants start to line the walls of their pots, you can transplant them to the garden, spacing them 40 to 50 cm apart.
For direct sowing, thin if necessary or transplant, spacing each plant 40 to 50 cm apart.
Cultivation:
Cerastium prefers dry and sunny locations. Plant it in dry to moist, light and well-drained soil, ideally in a rocky and limestone substrate, in April (in the north) or September (in the south), so that it has time to establish before the frost. It is a drought-tolerant plant and is sensitive to stagnant moisture. Prune the clumps to 5 cm above the ground in March, using hedge shears for example.
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Sowing period
Intended location
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
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The flowering period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.)
It will vary according to where you live:
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands).
It will vary according to where you live:
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.