The Pimpinelle, as the small meadow button is also popularly known, has been growing for many centuries both in northern Africa and in the far north of Scandinavia. The easy-care plant is hardy and usually survives even harsh winters without major problems.
Is the Pimpinelle hardy?
The Pimpinelle is a hardy, perennial plant that can easily overwinter in the garden. It overwinteres best in a pot with a warming fleece and covered substrate to protect the roots.
Overwintering pimpinelle in the garden
The Pimpinelle is a perennial, hardy plant. Overwintering in the garden works without any problems, although the above-ground parts of the plant usually die. You can cut off the dead parts in late autumn, but it is usually better to leave them on the plant and only cut them off in early spring. They make it easier for the pimpinelle to overwinter and serve as food for the roots. In the spring the pimpinelle sprouts again from the roots. In mild winters it can also happen that the herb does not die, but instead continues to sprout and develop new leaves.
Overwintering pimpinelle in a pot
In contrast to the adult Pimpinelle, you should wrap the pot of potted plants with a warming fleece (€7.00 on Amazon) or similar so that the roots do not freeze and die. The substrate can be covered with some brushwood or pine branches.
Rejuvenate Pimpinelle every two years
Although the pimpinelle is a perennial plant, it is not particularly long-lived. Therefore, you should either rejuvenate them every two to three years by dividing them or pull them out and sow them again. Of course, you can also let the seeds ripen and sow themselves - that saves a lot of work, especially since the Pimpinelle is really very fond of propagating in this respect. Furthermore, it is not a problem to let this type of plant grow in the same place again and again. The division, on the other hand, is much more complicated; the pimpinelle is difficult to implement due to the long and pronounced taproot.
Share Pimpinelle
When dividing, the taproot must not be injured under any circumstances, otherwise the plant will die. However, it is better to remove many small sections - the smaller the individual parts, the better they usually grow - with roots and replant them. Over time, these develop a new taproot themselves. The best time for division is early spring.
Tips & Tricks
Harvest the plant completely in summer - around the beginning / middle of March - and freeze any leaves that are not needed. The pimpinelle will sprout again if winter doesn't come too early.
