Acaena anserinifolia from seed

The tiny, spiky seed heads of the piedmont pipsissewa, Acaena anserinifolia, hold a stubborn secret. Germination whispers promises it rarely keeps, leaving the gardener to seek other paths. The whisper of rustling leaves yields instead to the satisfying thunk of a spade dividing a mature clump – a fragrant earthy scent rising with each careful severing of roots. Each offshoot, a miniature replica of the parent, becomes a testament to patience and a tangible reward for the labor of coaxing life from earth. This small victory, born of challenge and nurtured by care, unfolds into a tapestry of finely divided foliage, a quiet triumph against the odds.