The following was received via email: Hello! I wonder if you can help me with the following. There is a beautiful coastal plant that grows here in Norway called Rhodiola rosea - also called Arctic Root - and I would love to be able to grow it and propagate it myself. Does UBC have and propagate Rhodiola rosea in their collection or can you offer me any help or direction? Many thanks in advance Marc Urie
Yes, the garden has a couple accessions of Rhodiola rosea. I browsed through our propagation data and found that both of our accessions were grown from seed. The seed was lightly covered with gravel (I don't know if all of the medium was gravel - I'll have to defer that to one of my coworkers) and placed in cold storage. We had roughly 60% germination in the one case where we recorded success.
Hello Marc, I look after our Rhodiola rosea accessions within the E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine garden. As you may know, they're best grown in stony soil, as they prefer in nature, whether found at high or low elevations. Ours are grown in full sun, together with the lean soil, they stay quite small. Ideally in cultivation, they would be better quality plants with a slightly greater proportion of loam added to the soil. Just remember to keep it well-drained. As for propagation, you could take cuttings in early summer, and they will root rather quickly in a hormone compound formulated for softwood cuttings. Seed is usually produced in copious amounts, but it is quite tiny and of course is a slower method. Our plants were grown from seed offered by Brno University of Agriculture (Botanic gardens & Arboretum) in the Czech Republic. Brent Hine, Curator
Rhodiola rosea : The new St. Johns Wort? Good Afternoon Mr. Hine I understand that there have been a handful of studies with regard to Rhodiola rosea and its use to reduce stress and fatigue, alleviate depression and improve concentration with few side effects. Has the UBC botanical department conducted any research in this area? KeepWell Syl
seed source Hi: Would you know where seed or plants might be purchased? Thanks for any info you might have. Jeanette
Seed Sources Hi, not sure if this will help but you might wish to try www.GaiaGarden.com, or you may try Herb Growers at www.bcherbgrowers.com. I hope this will be of some help to you. Season's Blessings Syl
Re: Seed Sources Unfortunately, Gaia Garden doesn't sell herb seeds. We only sell herbal remedies and dried herbs. However, BCherbgrowers would be our first recommendation for finding high quality seed supplies.
rhodiola rosea has many medicinal uses, and is an amazing herb more info stimulates the immune system reduce stress helps depression anti ageing properties Rhodiola rosea _____________________________
