Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: fermi de Sousa on February 01, 2010, 05:18:46 AM
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We had a summer storm yesterday to finish January, so there'll be Zephyranthes and Habranthus soon!
This Lilium "Starfighter" came from Adrian at Coal Creek Bulb Farm and I decided it would be better in a pot than in the ground and it looks pretty good so far!
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This Lilium "Black Beauty" is much diminished on previous years with only one bloom per stem - it'll need a feed up.
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Lastly, a poor pic, but just to let you see that Calostemma purpureum is back again.
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cheers
fermi
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As predicted the Habranthus martinezii
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and Habranthus tubispathus
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have responded to the weekend rain!
cheers
fermi
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Hey Fermi, very nice clump of H.martinezii, great to see the real thing, I thought I was growing it from seed but it turned into Z.labufarosea! Lucky for me I like Zepyrahthes and hadn't got it!
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Sorry folks, I have had a little problem with our computer, which we finally managed to fix, with a new motherboard.
Fortunetly we had most of the important info, email and pictures backed up on a external harddrive, a must and big relieve.
Anyway, to start where I left off with the with the variegated Alstroemeria aurea, and the questions by Lesley and Fermi.
Lesley, I am not sure about the rampant nature of this plant, if any, but who cares, it will always look spectacular and eye-catching in the garden.
Yes Parva Plants is finished in Tauranga, and now Christchurch, but Ian Duncalf still have a few projects ongoing and and this variegated Alstroemeria is on of them.
Fermi, like so many variegated plants, this one undoubtly started of as an sport or mutation, when one part of a plant produces a different form or colour, and with tissue culture wouldn't take long to mass produce.
PS: just discovered that we have moved on to February 2010 (Southern Hemisphere) ;D ;D ;D
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Fermi, that is the real thing, the real martinezii. If you look at it from the side the flower has an upper upwards curving side. This and the brownish base is typical of this species. There are nice pink and almost while forms and some "normal" and also giants.
Chris, you are very fortunate in having Z. labufarosae from seed. A number of cultivars are sold some of them very nice but also most of them (if not all) heavily virused. Of course in the gorgeous pics the diseased leaves are not seen.
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One of my favourite genera is undoubtedly the beautiful Cyrtanthus, another large genus native to South Africa again, where various species are found growing in a wide range and habitats.
These include damp bushy stream-edges, as epiphytes on other plants, and in near desert conditions, and some species possibly require fire to trigger flowering in the wild.
Flowers vary in shape from star-like to tubular, and they can be white, pink, red, orange or yellow and the leaves can be strap-like, or narrow to quite wide.
Cyrtanthus herrei : the decorative evergreen, glaucous foliage is the main attraction, although the umbels of greenish-orange, pendulous flowers in summer rival any display by any other species.
The huge bulb should be planted with the neck and about two-third of the bulb above ground level, and require a very very sandy soil, semi shade, and will not tolerate over-watering.
The present flowers got damaged by the rain, so will post a picture from previous flowering.
Another colourful species is the Cyrtanthus glaucophyllus : a more robust and larger colour variation form of Cyrtanthus sanguineus, and sometimes called Cyrtanthus sanguineus var. glaucophyllus with flowers larger and darker in colour (reddish orange) than Cyrt. sanguineus. which is easy to grow and all the plants we have grown have come true from seed.
Cyrtanthus staadensis : this rare, floriferous plant deserves wider horticultural attention. Its bright orange-red flowers with their distinctive, dilated perianth tubes are carried on long peduncles or stalks.
This species prefers a sunny aspect and tends to be evergreen in cultivation.
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Alberto, its good to meet and hear from you again, and to see you still active on this very interesting and informative forum.
Keep up the good work. Bill.
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Alberto, the distinct advantage of growing from seed I think, clean stock! I can't imagine enjoying the blooms if they emerge from virused leaves!!
Cracking plants Bill, every time I come here I go very green! How long has it taken these to reach flowering size?
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Thanks Bill, you see, this forum is never in dormancy.....
Chris, no one mentions growing this species from seed so it is possible it is seldom produced except when different clones are crosed but then, the original form is not preserved. This is probably the reason why there are so many (lovely) variants. Unfortunately virused plants flower for some years before dwindling away and in the meantime you can infect the rest of your amaryllids.
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A problem indeed Alberto! I was fortunate to get seed from it this year. I sowed half in a 9cm pot and half with the mother plants. Only the seed with the mother plants germinated, I guess they kept conditions 'sweet' !
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Another Habranthus bursting into flower after a heavy downpour is the Habranthus brachyandrus.
H.brachyandrus has soft pink flowers with a rich burgandy throat.
It suppose to be slow to multiply and never seem to set seed, but never had any problem with the increase to the point where they almost become rampant. ;D ;D
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Trimezia martinicensis (and many other synonyms according to Clive Innes) is another interesting species, flowering almost all the year round.
Commomly known as "Wild Scallion" and widespread throughout most part of South America.
Alberto might be able to tell you more about this little beauty
Sorry, the closeup might be slightly over exposed ;D :D :-[
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Eleutherine plicata (again many synonyms), flowers white, short-lived, about 1 cm diam. born in succession.
This little beauty again comes from Central and South America at altitudes of 600 m. or more.
Another species for the collector I suppose.
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This coral plant Russellia equisetiformis from Mexico I think has not stopped flowering and is still going strong.
From spring until autumn, this coral plant produces hanging clusters of scarlet tubular flowers about 1 in (2.5 cm) long that look like little firecrackers inspiring the plant's other common name, firecracker plant.
The wiry branches start out erect then fall over to cascade down in lengths as long as 4 ft (1.2 m) and would be ideal for a display from hanging baskets.
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Cracking plants Bill, every time I come here I go very green! How long has it taken these to reach flowering size?
Chris, propagation is usually from bulbils, divisions or the black-winged seed.
Cyrtanthus seeds are short-lived and should be treated like fleshy amaryllids.
Seeds are often sown on the surface of a well-drained medium and should be sown as soon as they are ripe and only slightly covered with sand or grit at 20 deg. C. to keep the seeds in place.
However, some of our members have better success in floating the seeds until they sprout and then carefully planting them just underneath the medium surface.
This is particularly true if your medium is very well-drained and dry out too quickly for the non-floating method. But regardless of what method you choose, the germinating seeds need to be kept moist.
Growing Cyrtanthus species from seed was never meant to be easy, (apart from the C. elatus) and can take up to from 3-5 years and sometimes longer (depending on the species) to flower, but if successful, will be fascinating, rewarding and very enjoyable.
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We had a summer storm yesterday to finish January, so there'll be Zephyranthes and Habranthus soon!
This Lilium "Starfighter" came from Adrian at Coal Creek Bulb Farm and I decided it would be better in a pot than in the ground and it looks pretty good so far!
This Lilium "Black Beauty" is much diminished on previous years with only one bloom per stem - it'll need a feed up.
Fermi, your Starfighter and Black Beauty are crackers, my Black Beauty has not flowered yet, it needs splitting up I think.
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Not 100% sure what Zephyranthus species this is. Could someone ID it for me please??
Its an easy plant that set seed and flower at the same time abundantly.
Thanks.
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This is the exquisite Ismene amancaes (syn. Hymenocallis amancaes) from Chile and Peru.
The green strap leaves are deciduous with flower stems up to 60 cm tall that can carry up to eight fragrant yellow per head in summer, and likes well-drained conditions.
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Hi Bill,
Thanks for the info, very interesting indeed. We hvae some Cyrtanthus growing from Silverhill seed. Germination was hit and miss but we do have at least two seedlings from each species, so a start!
The Trimezia martinicensis is a little charmer, is this quite closely related to Trigidia?
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Not 100% sure what Zephyranthus species this is. Could someone ID it for me please??
Its an easy plant that set seed and flower at the same time abundantly.
Thanks.
Looks like a form of Habranthus tubispathus syn H. texanus syn H. andersonii.
cheers
fermi
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It is a very fine form of Habranthus tubispathus. It has many variants, some very atteractive. If seed is not to be used faded flowers should be removed at once to induce a second o third flowering,
The Trimezia is the TRUE martinicensis, not common in cultivation at all. Trimezias are not bulbs but evergreen herbaceous perennials grown in tropical/subtropical regions as substitues for irises neat evergreen foliage. No, not related to Tigridia but the flower has the feeling.....
Ismene amancaes grows in a rather restricted area in coastal sand dunes of Peru, a desert. It was a sacred flower of the Incas as when it flowered it indicated the return of the sun god. Very difficult to grow well, research in the wild has shown that abnormal precipitation due to global warming affects the seed production that drops sharply with extra rainfall. It is a highly endangered species as the habitat is being developed.
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Ismene amancaes grows in a rather restricted area in coastal sand dunes of Peru, a desert. It was a sacred flower of the Incas as when it flowered it indicated the return of the sun god. Very difficult to grow well, research in the wild has shown that abnormal precipitation due to global warming affects the seed production that drops sharply with extra rainfall. It is a highly endangered species as the habitat is being developed.
Alberto, thanks very much for this very informative and expert explanation of these beautiful South American genera/species.
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Hi Bill, flowering in Ismene amancaes is in June around the winter solstice. It receives rainfall in July, August and September and that is all. Despite this, there are coastal fogs for a number of months that must have some effect on the plants' survival (in the wild, of course).
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Just another picture of a late flowering, beautiful colour form of Tigridia pavonia
Enjoy.
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Bill,
that Tigridia pavonia is brilliant. I need sunglasses 8) 8)
A bit pity it is not winter hard here.
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Hi Alberto,
I have been looking at a few more South American bulbs and that 'look' seems to appear in other genera, Cypella also has a similar appearance. It is a shame that other than Tigridia pavonia and a few other genera, Iridaceae from South America aren't that well represented in cultivation in Europe. :(
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Another seldom cultivated, popular plant flowering at the moment is the magnificent Scadoxus multiflorus ssp.katherinae
from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
A vigorous species which reaches about 1m.high, and is an ideal subject for a shady garden.
It shrives under trees, and is almost evergreen, with new leaf-shoots arising in late winter just as the previous season's growth is dying off.
Flower-buds develop at the base of the leaves, and the rounded heads of salmon-orange star-like flowers appear on long stalks in mid-summer.
Bright red fruits will appear if pollination occurs, ripening in mid-winter and lasting several weeks.
This is a superb cut flower for large floral art arrangements.
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"I have been looking at a few more South American bulbs and that 'look' seems to appear in other genera, Cypella also has a similar appearance. It is a shame that other than Tigridia pavonia and a few other genera, Iridaceae from South America aren't that well represented in cultivation in Europe"
Chris, there are a number of tigridioids in South America and also in North America (Tigridia has many species in Mexico). The problem with them, as with Rhodophiala, Tropaeolum and the like is that, naturally, plants have their requirements and it is almost impossible to know them well from available literature. The diversity of climates is such. For instance in a single genus, Tigridia, you have species that grow and flower as the snow melts, others that come from subtropical conditions with seasonal rainfall, others from coastal deserts, or from tropical deserts, altitude species that need cool conditions all year long, or some are summer dormant while others are winter dormant. Seed and bulbs have reached England on a number of occasions but most were lost. In England you find the greatest experts that can grow virtually anything and in certain collections these plants exist. Not surprisingly the key to their success is to meet the plants' requirements and not the opposite.
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"In England you find the greatest experts that can grow virtually anything and in certain collections these plants exist. Not surprisingly the key to their success is to meet the plants' requirements and not the opposite.
Not only England but Scotland and other European countries, I think Alberto, I should have said commerce rather than cultivation. You are quite correct of course about understandning these plants and giving them condtitions in which they will grow. In Bulgaria we have found that many species of Calceolaria will grow in the open garden without any protection except the winter snow. Rhodophiala advena on the other hand grows as a house plant and has, in 4 or 5 years, divided into 7 separate bulbs. I have over the last few days tracked down a commerical source for Tigridia vanhouttei in the UK, but non of the other wonderful species appear to be available.
Certainly it appears to me that South American species are poorly represented in commerce in Europe when compared to the availability of African species for instance!
There are many growers from the southern hemisphere on this thread who have fabulous examples of South American bulbs and plants in there collections, I wonder are these all seed grown or are South American species better represented in commerce in the south?
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Chris, beside the Tigridia's, Rhodophiala's, and the Tropaeolum's here are a few more of the South America genera/species for your benefit.
Enjoy.
Calydorea xiphioides (syn. C. speciosa)
Conanthera bifolia
Conanthera-bifolia
Cypella armosa
Cypella coelestis
Cypella houthallii var.opalina
Cypella houthallii var.opalina 2
Cypella.herb.ssp.brevicristata
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Chris, just a few more of the South America genera/species for you to have a look at. Enjoy.
Gelasine azureus
Herb.pulchella
Herbertia pulchella form
Hesperoxiphion peruvianum
Leucocoryne vitata darker
Leucocoryne purpurea
Neomarica caerulea
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As one of my lectureres used to say, very sexy plants indeed. I think the Herbertea en masse is my fav!
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All absolute beauties.
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Very exotic looking! Brightened up a very dull day here.
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As one of my lectureres used to say, very sexy plants indeed. I think the Herbertea en masse is my fav!
Chris, now I know why I am so popular with my wife, and so tired at night.
So don't forget for more and improved .......grow more of these South American sexy plants!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
You should try growing some of these plants Maggi, don't tell Ian yet, see what happen.
Thanks Chris you might have started something :) :) :)
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Bill,
absolut fascinating - so spendid generas. :o 8)
Many of them I've never heard of!
Thanks for showing.
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Another dainty species from Mexico is the Bessera elegans , with grassy leaves and flowering stems of 50 cm, carrying numerous flowers shaped like small parachutes, and ranging in colour from bright red to pink and purple, some may also have white stripes.
Bessera elegans is the only species available at present,and flowers during summer and is good for rock garden and containers.
A range of colour variants occurs, mainly in shades from scarlet to purple with various green or white markings.
Lesley how's your Bessera elegans coming along, they should be close to flowering by now??
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Haemanthus coccineus is a striking South African native known variously as blood lily, or elephant ears.
It is grown as much for its large strap-like leaves as for its scarlet flowers, which resemble piantbrushes with their central cluster of golden stamens.
They emerge when no foliage is present in summer, prompted by heavy rain or watering.
Pinkish red tongue-like buds are carried on spotted stems, opening to display a mass of golden pollen.
As summer progresses, the large fleshy, thick round leaves appear.
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Love the Bessera, I'll be growing them in Bulgaria for the first time this year.
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Hi Everyone,
Most things are finished flowering in my garden now but here are some late flowering New zealand alpines and interesting foliage from today. OK to be honest this thread is just because I bought a new camera ;)
For the first time Iv grown Ourisia caespitosa and its just started flowering last week.
Ranunculus insignis has one last perfect flower I cant believe how long this has been flowering, it first started back in October.
Raoulia loganii is a really nice hybrid between Leucogenies and Raoulia briodies (I think) It shows real hybrid vigour.
Raoulia mammillaris growing outside in a polystyrine trough has survived two winters outside reasonably intact without any covering. I think this is more luck than anything else.
Raoulia parkii just coming into flower
Raoulia subsericea is actually very pretty, if you look closely
Im really looking forward to taking my new camera into the hills as soon as possible, with the latest technology even I can take ok pictures.
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Cameras certainly working for you Ross! Great to see some NZ alpines, I shall look forward to seeing your pictures from the hills!
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Well done Ross.
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Thanks David and Hristo,
I think the credit belongs with Panasonic for making such an easy to use camera.
Anyway here are a couple more photos taken yesterday and this morning in between showers.
Gentiana saxosa a little gentian from on the south Coast of the South Island its really easy and self seeds in my garden
Celmisia philocremna with rain drops on it grown from a plant given to me by a friend, he said he grew it from a cutting. I found it a bit tricky from seed. It tends to damp off very easily.
Haastia pulvinaris a seedling in my alpine house.
Muehlenbeckia axillaris fruit
Wahlenbergia mathewsii grows on the coast at kaikoura and quite easily in my garden
I'm really itching to take my camera into the field as Iv just about photographed every plant in my garden
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Excellent pics, Bill, Fermi, and Ross. Beautiful.
Bill, the irids you grow are gorgeous, but I just love the Trimezia martinicensis. What a cracker!!
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Love the gentiana!
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There have been a few new flowers in the last week or two.
I've also posted pics to the Amaryllidaceae threads, so look for extra pics there.
The most wonderful of the Lycoris that I grow is the most infrequent to flower! Lycoris sprengeri, in a exotic mix of pink and blue,
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As you can see it is actually taller than a Crepe Myrtle! Well, the dwarf form which is the only one that survives for me!
Taken in this morning's light, here's our oldest Cyclamen graecum, celebrating its annual return to the sunlight,
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Crassula falcata is a wonderfully bright colour at this tired time of year,
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Also brightening up the place are the various forms of Amaryllis belladonna and her hybrids, this is the deepest colour we grow,
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And one of the white ones "Multiflora Alba"
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One of our native "Emu bushes", Eremophila debilis, has unremarkable flowers but lovely berries,
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Another native, Calostemma purpureum, one of our few bulbs, is quite floriferous though less flamboyant than her South African or South American cousins!
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Finally our clump of Pelargonium sidioides has been flowering through the summer without flinching in the heat,
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cheers
fermi
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A lovey 'Bouquet' for a Friday morning Fermi!
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Third time to try I hope it works and files are not too large!!! >:(
The white Calostemma is flowering
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Pink Calostemmas
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Belladonnas
Hathor
and variations on pink
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Pat,
very beautiful Belladonnas. The white one is very lovely.
Do you grow them outside?
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Pink Calostemmas
these are great--i love the look of them on the dry hillside..are they aus natives, growing wild, or..?
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Belladonnas and Calostemmas are all grown outside naturally. The drier the better it seems. The Calostemmas are Australian natives
Calostemma purpureum Amaryllidaceae
Garland Lily
Bulbous plant with strap-like leaves, present at flowering time or shortly afterwards. Bears heads of twelve or more wine-red trumpet-like flowers on stems 40cm high. Each flower has a yellow centre (must look) Distribution: n=banks of inland river systems of NSW, extending to Vicotria and the coastal cliffs of South Australia (oh yeah???). Propogation from seed or by division. (Seed 'germinates' on storage.)
Cultivation needs a full sun position and will grow in most soils. H. = frost hardy to -7C I = plant suitable for small rockery M = rockery plant which is reduced to a bulb or tuber in dormancy.
C. luteum is similar but flowers are totally yellow. It occurs in NSW, SA, Qld (have not seen this one locally)
Sorry about all the italics.
Yes it is growing naturally on the hillside and on the verge of the road - nowhere near the river. The wine-red one is below a grey gum tree.
- taken from Australian Native Plants by Wrigley & Fagg1982
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Oh dear I made a bit of mess of that by quoting instead of modifying. Must be the 35C day ???
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wow--35C--i can remember those temps, but only just ;)..great plants, hope to see more natives in situ!
of course it was probably near that in here early this aft--with the stove lit and the sun pouring in, it got too warm, had to open the door for a few hours, with a few degrees above 0 outside (sunny and balmy for feb)
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Pat,
those white calostemma flowers are lovely! We'll have to do a trade!
Your "Hathor" also looks to have a lot deeper colour in the throat compared to mine - which might be a seedling ???
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The Crossyne flava are now extending their pedicels as the seeds develop -
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last year I reckon I harvested about 1000 seeds but didn't get them all planted :-\ - they were mostly given to others to try but I forgot to send some to you, Pat! If you're still interested, please let me know.
And the first colchicums are out! This is Colchicum cilicium,
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cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
I have been told it is Hathor - I have not checked further. There is a couple more white belladonnas to flower so I will take closeups of those too.
I tried to dig up a Calostemma last year for Han J and they must be at least 18" down. All I did was break off stems above the bulbs. I will have to find a better spade to dig them - when we have rain again. I will certainly go out in the morning and mark the spots. I have not tried growing the seeds which are round fleshy ones. I know that Paul wants some white ones too. I have it in my memory - just jog it every so often for me.
Would love some seeds of Crossyne flava.
There is a garden about 2ks from here which have the regular pink belladonnas all along the front fence which extends a good couple of hundred metres. I will take some photos but they are seeding up now. A lot earlier than mine here.
I took some shots this evening (late afternoon) of the Eremurus in flower but the wind did interfere a bit with the closeup lens. Also the Iris acutiloba lineolata under its tin roof. It has stayed nearly all green!!!!
I use a Nikon D3000
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First colchicum up in Adelaide too. This one was bought as C. byzantinum but is a little paler than the old ones I've seen around in old gardens. Anyway I count the first colchicums as the start of autumn, despite the fact that yesterday was 35degC, at least the nights are cooling. Also spotted the first few leaves pushing through on Crocus boryi.
To add to the confusion re Hathor, my bulbs bought as Hathor look more like Fermi's Multiflora alba, at least in terms of the shape of the petals and the wavy edges.
Anita
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Anita,
Haven't noticed any colchicums here yet. As I said it may not be Hathor as I have not delved deeper than believing what someone said it was.
And a grey succulent that looks good presently.
(it is a old goods wagon on the edge of the photo which we used as a kitchen then a bedroom in the early day after our first house burnt down)
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As I said it may not be Hathor as I have not delved deeper than believing what someone said it was.
And a grey succulent that looks good presently.
Hi Pat,
your "Hathor" looks correct to me; I think mine is either a poor form or a seedling. It's been around long enough for misnamed plants to turn up! ;D
The succulent is Cotyledon orbiculata from South Africa; worth growing for its foliage alone.
cheers
fermi
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Thanks Fermi,
Have been writing out labels for BIS iris seeds so I have written up one before I lose the name in the threads.
Now to take it out and put it with the plant!!!!!