Pheasant’s
Eye
Annual
Family: Ranunculaceae
Adonis species
Brightly coloured annuals of Syrian and European
origin, hardy in Britain. The leaves are finely
cut and fern-like; flowers vary in colour according
to the species.
Adonis aestivalis (Pheasant’s Eye), has almost
blood-red flowers, an inch across, with dark centres,
on one-foot stems.
Adonis autumnalis has scarlet flowers on twelve-inch
stems.
An inch or so taller is Adonis flammea with bright
scarlet flowers with dark centres and a black
patch on each petal where it joins the centre.
The Syrian, Adonis aleppica, has brilliant scarlet
flowers, two inches across, freely produced; it
reaches a foot high.
Among the most brilliant of annuals, the Adonis
with its scarlet flowers is indispensable in the
annual border.
Sow seed in autumn or spring where the plants
are to flower, and thin to two inches apart in
spring.
Propagation is from seed.
The flowering season is early summer for Adonis flammea
and Adonis aestivalis, late summer for the other two
species.
Adonis
There are two sorts:
Adonis Flos, Hardy Annual –
1 ft. crimson flowers in finely cut foliage in
summer, easily grown from sowings in the open
end of March or early in April; and
Adonis Vernalis, Hardy Perennial
– resembling the last, but March flowering
and yellow in colour. It is not worth while trying
to raise this from seed. Plant in good light soil,
and leave it alone to increase at its pleasure.
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