Amaryllis belladonna and Crinum bulbispermum

Ernie DeMarie via pbs pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
Wed, 15 Jul 2015 13:14:53 PDT
Hi Jim,
Well my school garden in Chappaqua NY may not be the western front but I was just over there this morning and the A belladonna plants along the wall mostly appear to still be in leaf.  During such a harsh winter as this year they make little growth in winter and whatever they try to do gets burned right off, so they grew much foliage this spring and it is persisting as it did last year (similar horrible winter) into July.  Last year a couple of them flowered in August, this year we'll see what happens, probably the same.  If they were not against the wall I am sure they would have died during our winters.   
Crinum bulbispermum, however, is doing great in various unprotected spots in my home gardens, one plant of the "Jumbo" strain flowered very late last year, this year it threw three stalks, but none of the other plants (about 4 more Jumbos and maybe 20 or more from South African seed) are blooming yet, but all survived the winter in great shape without special protection other than planting the bulbs reasonably deep.  I would not be surprised if some of them throw a flower stalk later on this year, they appear to be big enough by now.  I am growing seed of other strains, including some from down south which could have hybrid blood in them, to see how they will fare, at least one pot full of seedlings is probably big enough to put into the ground, I'll provide some mulch for their first winter in case we get another horrible winter.  
Ernie DeMarie
Briarcliff Manor NY z7ish where we have had a relatively cool summer with a bit too much rain, clouds, and humidity.   Gladiolus papilio and "Ruby Papilio" are coming into flower along with some of my dalenii hybrids. 



 



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