Crinum and Ammocharis 2015

[Renate Brinkers]

A nice start of the Crinum season - long before the others show buds Crinum jagus flowers in winter at the window sill just when the days become a little bit longer.

[Maggi Young]

Whiter than the snow, Renata 

[Renate Brinkers]

Yes, indeed, even the pollen is silverywhite.

[Heinie]

This Crinum asiaticum is flowering. This is one of my favourite Crinums due to the beautiful stiff leaves that do not die off after the flowering season. I saw a strange bug eating the flowers this morning that I have not seen before. I counted over 50 flowers on this one head. It has a lovely scent as well.









The bug hiding inside the flower that was sprayed with Garden Insect killer.



Notice all the flowers and some more damage done

[Heinie]

This Crinum Procerum var. splendens is flowering. This beautiful crinum with burgundy leaves and back of the flower petals is related to the Crinum Asiaticum which is a green leaf and white flower plant.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Crinum x powellii is just starting to flower here.

[François Lambert]

Indeed, My Crinum Powelii had a first scape about a week ago and is now opening it's second scape.

The plant is doing extremely well now that it's growing in the open.

[brianw]

Crinum x powellii is just starting to flower here.

Mine, in large pots protected over winter, are almost finished. Trying to decide if they are worth the trouble and lifting and frost free storage space. Wish the flowers lasted longer. This summer they have burnt off much too quickly although I guess I had 10 or 12 stems in total.
The white form is supposed to have larger flowers. Is this true? Had it at one time but don't recall it flowering before I lost it.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Should be hardy where you are - it is here in Kent. No need to overwinter frost free.

[Brian Ellis]

The white form is supposed to have larger flowers. Is this true?

Ours is in it's third year of flowering and I would say they are slightly smaller than the pink one.  We did see a third form at East Ruston this weekend which was white with pink flush to the tip of the buds which faded as the flowers opened, they were big, but then they do feed everything weekly!

[brianw]

Should be hardy where you are - it is here in Kent. No need to overwinter frost free.

You are probably correct, if it is planted out, but I have not had anywhere I thought warranted the space for such a mediochre flower, so they have stayed in large pots. Previously I thought it was my treatment but now maybe I have the Roseum form listed here http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/CrinumHybridsPinkThree#powelliiRoseum and it is just a poor form. There are many more forms available in the USA, white and pink, but I have never come across most of these. There is one named "Super Ellen" with scapes up to 6' and if I remember correctly available on US ebay, but not here as far as I know. Maybe I should look around for named forms here in the UK.

[johnralphcarpenter]

This late flowering Crinum moorei has huge flowers.