Drimia maritima

Leo Martin stnalpsoel@gmail.com
Sun, 05 Jun 2016 20:32:09 PDT
I have four blooming sized bulbs in large containers. Placing the
containers under my carport, completely dry all summer, and in bright
shade, yields certain summer survival.

I haven't tried one in the ground, but I think that would be fine here.
They not only tolerate our extreme summer temperatures, they even accept an
occasional soaking in a monsoon storm, if they don't get sun shining on the
container all day. We average almost 5 inches / 140mm of summer monsoon
storm precipitation. This falls in three to five heavy storms. The
containers will be soaked, but dry out within a few days.

Friends in metro Phoenix who have put containers in areas receiving full
sun almost all day have killed their bulbs. However, I know they do well in
the Los Angeles area in sunny beds in the ground, where they will bake all
summer, in temperatures similar to those you describe.

Our summer highs are above 104 F / 40C almost every day from mid June to
late September, and sometimes it is this hot by early April. (Not this
year!) We often have week-long excursions above 110 F / 43.5C. My bulbs
often begin sending up bloom spikes in August or September, when daytime
temperatures are in the 110 F range.

I don't think your temperatures are as extreme, so your bulbs should do
just fine outdoors, in dry shade. Outside with air circulation will be far
better than in a shed or garage, where temperatures may soar far above
those outside.

Leo Martin
Zone 9?
Phoenix Arizona USA



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