Plant Database

Other Names:  Gold Cap Pocketbook Flower, Purse Flower

Description:

This stunning little alpine plant forms a low rosette of hairy dark green leaves; rising above the mound on wiry stems are pairs of yellow pouch-like flowers marked with tiny red spots in late spring through summer; protect from hot afternoon sun

Ornamental Features

Goldcap Pocketbook Flower has masses of beautiful spikes of yellow orchid-like flowers with red spots rising above the foliage from late spring to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its tomentose round leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Goldcap Pocketbook Flower is an herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Goldcap Pocketbook Flower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Goldcap Pocketbook Flower will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity extending to 10 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Goldcap Pocketbook Flower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.