Tropaeolum

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Thu, 24 Apr 2003 21:18:33 PDT
Dear All,

I have created a Tropaeolum wiki page:
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

And added images that Bill Dijk shared with one of the images list last 
year of Tropaeolum azureum and T. brachyceras and images my husband took of 
my T. tricolor. Even though Jim Forrest sent me seeds of T. azureum I never 
had any luck with them so whenever I look at Bill's picture I just 
sigh....But I purchased a T. brachyceras from Telos and enjoyed it very 
much this winter and one of my all time favorite plants is T. tricolor 
which Jana Ulmer shared with me from ones that Wayne Roderick shared with 
the California Horticultural Society. I had first seen it at one of his two 
times a year open houses when his bulbs are on display and thought it very 
charming.

Two years ago I purchase a T. incisum from Telos. Diana has a way with 
words and her description of this one made it sound so appealing. "This 
rare Tropaeolum is worth growing for the leaves alone, which are deeply 
incised and so incredibly glaucous that they appear to be a blue/purple 
color. The yellow to orange flowers are equally lovely." She had said it 
was from Chile so I expected it to be a winter grower and had just about 
given up on it when it finally came up last year late February.  I'd 
describe the leaves as appearing silver and they are very attractive, but 
mine never bloomed. When I asked her about it she told me that she had 
thought it was from Chile, but on relooking at her notes from Watson and 
Flores seed saw that it was really an Alpine plant from Argentina where it 
had warm to hot dry summers and snow and heavy frost in winter. She wasn't 
sure how it would respond to our wet winters.

I haven't been quite sure what it needs. I gave it occasional water when 
dormant and took it in the greenhouse when we had extended rainfall this 
winter and with this treatment it has sprouted much later than last year, 
only just recently. Alberto can you give me any advice about what it needs? 
I'd grow it for the leaves alone, but would love to have it flower and I 
don't want to lose it.

Thanks for any help.

Mary Sue
Mary Sue Ittner
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers


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