How to Grow Ramonda Plants

Guide to Growing Serbian queen, and Serbian Phoenix Flower

Plants from the Ramonda genus are small hardy perennials that reach a height of about 10 cm (four inches); this makes them an ideal plant to grow in a rock garden.

There are three species of Ramonda, all of which are are rosette forming plants with leaves that are hairy and veined.

They bloom in the spring, when they carry flat flowers of pink, purple, or white, a top of a very slim leafless stalk.

A common name for Ramonda is Serbian Queen.

Ramonda
Ramonda by Xavier Béjar.

Ramonda Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Serbian queen, Serbian phoenix flower, Pyrenean-violet, Natalie's ramonda, Serbian phoenix flower, Rosette mullein.
Species: Ramonda myconi, Ramonda nathaliae, and Ramonda serbica
Life Cycle: Evergreen Hardy perennial
Height: 4 inches (10 cm).
Native: Europe.
Growing Region: Zones 5 to 8.
Flowers: Spring.
Flower Details: Purple, pink, white. Five petals. Flat. Star-shaped.
Foliage: Evergreen. Rosette. Crinkly. Veined. Hairy. Stems are leaf-less.
Sow Outside: Surface. Spring.
Sow Inside: Germination time: one to two months in diffused/soft light. Temperature: 55 to 60°F (13—16°C). One year in advance. Transplant outdoors following the following last frost. Spacing 6 inches (15 cm).
Requirements and care: Partial shade. Good drainage. Sandy. Moist soil for best results. Regular watering from below during dry periods (avoid getting water on the rosettes. Propagate: by taking leaf cuttings in the summer or from offsets at the same time.
Family: Gesneriaceae.
Closely Related Species: African Violets.
Miscellaneous: Genus is named after the French botanist Louis Ramond de Carbonnières. Can recover from being completely dehydrated.

How to Grow Serbian Queen and Other Ramonda

The seeds of Serbian Queen and other Ramonda species should be sown on the soil surface at the start of autumn.

They should be spaced at about 10 to 15 cm apart into a partly shaded area of the rock garden. Ideally the soil that plants grow in will be sandy and mist; it is important that the ground that the plant grows in has good drainage.

If starting off indoors, then sow the seed in the spring time at a temperature of 12 to 15 degrees Centigrade in diffused light. It should take from one to two months for them to germinate. Allow the plant to grow for one year, and then transfer outdoors following the last frost of spring. It should take about 3 years for the plant to flower.

Caring for Ramonda

Ramonda likes to grow in moist soil - so water regularly, but be sure not to get water on the leaves as they will rot. If you require more plants then they can be propagated by taking leaf cuttings.

I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Ramonda plants. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ Rockery growing guides: How to grow Nemesia and Hieracium plants.