PBS Forum

A Moraea elegans started flowering. Because of the constant clouds, I had to put it under the grow lights to get it to open fully.

Here's our M. Elegans from a couple days ago...

Here's a complete progression of G. Bonaspei SH Silvesmere locale, with rain drops from last night...

Early spring in Sardinia between endemic and newcomers.

Here is somewhat of a first. I can't seem to track down when/where we got this, but am sure it's been in the ground for YEARS, from our early days of SA bulb interest. Only maybe showing minor signs of Life last year.

Tagged as Cyanella Orchidiformis. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome...

Hello All,

Some greetings from my garden....

This pure white Cyclamen persicum was selected from seedlings raised from AGS seed. It has particularly elegant fragrant flowers.

Gladiolus virescens 

Onixotos triquetra likes it wet but also performs well in normal conditions if kept moist.

Gladiolus liliaceus 

Ranunculus asiaticus next to one of the Lachenalia quadricolor forms 

Not a geophyte...... Ceanothus ,Blue Jeans'

Uli 

Quote from: Too Many Plants! on March 05, 2025, 10:36:37 AMTagged as Cyanella Orchidiformis. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome...

Hmmm..... leaves here are far more grassy, although it has never flowered here.
I have two clones, one from Silverhill seed, one from a reliable "horticulturalist's" nursery in the UK.

If you take a look at the PBS Cyanella page, the leaves better fit at least a couple of other species. Hopefully the buds will open and the "mystery" will be solved.

Quote from: CG100 on March 06, 2025, 05:45:31 AM

Quote from: Too Many Plants! on March 05, 2025, 10:36:37 AMTagged as Cyanella Orchidiformis. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome...

Hmmm..... leaves here are far more grassy, although it has never flowered here.
I have two clones, one from Silverhill seed, one from a reliable "horticulturalist's" nursery in the UK.

If you take a look at the PBS Cyanella page, the leaves better fit at least a couple of other species. Hopefully the buds will open and the "mystery" will be solved.

Well, I searched the web and saw mostly pictures that somewhat resemble my plants foliage, albeit a bit smaller. This bulb may be very good sized as it's been bulb planted in the ground I believe since 2018/19. One of the pics I noticed that came up is a PBS pic of Cyanella cygnea. Though to me the foliage looks more shade grown.
I'm adding another pic of C. Orchidiformis in habitat, flowering near Vanrhynsdorp, Western Cape- for reference. To me, that foliage matches my plant very well. I checked the flowers this morning, still not opening. I will post asa they do...

More flowers on my Moraea Elegans.

These were in a gift grab box of surprise- plant and find out bulbs, from a very generous long time SA bulb aficionado.

I believe them to be Sparaxis Metelerkampiae. Which I already have, but these have a bit of a different form. 

Sparaxis Metelerkampiae ?

Input is always welcome...

New pics of my Gladiolus Bonespei.

Wondering why this species is not listed on the PBS wiki???

It's on the web, and SH shows it as a species they offer...

Any thoughts out there?

Sparaxis Villosa

Slowly spreading in my garden...

Quote from: Uli on March 06, 2025, 03:55:23 AMHello All,

Some greetings from my garden....

This pure white Cyclamen persicum was selected from seedlings raised from AGS seed. It has particularly elegant fragrant flowers.

Gladiolus virescens

Onixotos triquetra likes it wet but also performs well in normal conditions if kept moist.

Gladiolus liliaceus

Ranunculus asiaticus next to one of the Lachenalia quadricolor forms

Not a geophyte...... Ceanothus ,Blue Jeans'

Uli

Love those Gladiolus! 

Funny...Ceanothus is native to California, I live where there is a wild shrub/bush species in the hills around my home. And I've planted a few other species too. But, I'm not familiar with that species or cultivar.

Ceanothus is reasonably poplular in the UK, probably in the warmer parts of mainland Europe too.

"Blue Jeans" is supposedly a hybrid, but there must be dozens of cultivars/varieties in cultivation here, no doubt many bred/selected in the US, from groundcover of maybe 30-40cm tall to small trees. Lots of claims are made about flower colour, but apart from white, you usually need two cultivars, side by side, to see any variation in the shade of blue in most cases. To me, there always seems to be at least as much variation in the leaves as flowers.

Two drawbacks to them to be really great garden plants - they hate being pruned and don't respond well at all, and they are also short-lived.

Quote from: CG100 on March 06, 2025, 12:50:28 PMCeanothus is reasonably poplular in the UK, probably in the warmer parts of mainland Europe too.

"Blue Jeans" is supposedly a hybrid, but there must be dozens of cultivars/varieties in cultivation here, no doubt many bred/selected in the US, from groundcover of maybe 30-40cm tall to small trees. Lots of claims are made about flower colour, but apart from white, you usually need two cultivars, side by side, to see any variation in the shade of blue in most cases. To me, there always seems to be at least as much variation in the leaves as flowers.

Two drawbacks to them to be really great garden plants - they hate being pruned and don't respond well at all, and they are also short-lived.

Funny. In habitat, well at least our habitat, they are not short-lived. I also have a good friend who is south of me on the north end of San Diego, and he has a different native ceanothus that's more like a dainty miniature tree and his have been around for many years. But these are all on native soils, with only the water that falls from the sky. Never irrigated! That could make a big difference. It's been my observation they take time (many years) to get to full size under natural conditions.

Here's a pic of wild Ceanothus in habitat right around our home. Probably a mile or two away as the Hawk flies.

Some of them smell wonderful in flower!

Moraea Aristata - pics from yesterday, and today fully open in the rain.

This is the same plant I posted pics last year of its very first flowering in my Garden, making a four pedal flower. From a 2023 BX.

Many of the Ceanothus are fire followers, including at least one of the parents of the purple-blue hybrids. They come up like grass following a fire, grow like crazy (1 - 3feet/30cm-1m per year), and are senescent within 10-15 years. Their response to pruning varies, but most of the fire followers respond like Hydra to pruning, proliferating branches in the area.
This all, of course, from the perspective of trail crew trying to keep Ceanothus from closing off trails in a single winter season.
There are some truly amazing species out there, Uli's C. leucodermis (and some allied species) with white stems contrasting with blue flowers, and a prostrate species from the northern part of the state (shades varying from white to light blue from plant to plant)...but they are notoriously picky about conditions. C. leucodermis, grows only in a 500ft/200m elevation band on the dry side of the third range of coastal ridges from the ocean, with different species above and below...elsewhere from me, it is similarly restricted where the conditions are similar.

Robert
in fogbound San Francisco

Quote from: Robert_Parks on March 06, 2025, 05:01:29 PMMany of the Ceanothus are fire followers, including at least one of the parents of the purple-blue hybrids. They come up like grass following a fire, grow like crazy (1 - 3feet/30cm-1m per year), and are senescent within 10-15 years. Their response to pruning varies, but most of the fire followers respond like Hydra to pruning, proliferating branches in the area.
This all, of course, from the perspective of trail crew trying to keep Ceanothus from closing off trails in a single winter season.
There are some truly amazing species out there, Uli's C. leucodermis (and some allied species) with white stems contrasting with blue flowers, and a prostrate species from the northern part of the state (shades varying from white to light blue from plant to plant)...but they are notoriously picky about conditions. C. leucodermis, grows only in a 500ft/200m elevation band on the dry side of the third range of coastal ridges from the ocean, with different species above and below...elsewhere from me, it is similarly restricted where the conditions are similar.

Robert
in fogbound San Francisco

I suppose, different types of habitats, could develop very different Ceanothus over time. I know I tried some variates that I found out were more northern Cali coastal based sp., and did not do well with them in our dry hot summers, and low rainfall winters, even though I supplemented their watering.

Quote from: Robert_Parks on March 06, 2025, 05:01:29 PMMany of the Ceanothus are fire followers, including at least one of the parents of the purple-blue hybrids. They come up like grass following a fire, grow like crazy (1 - 3feet/30cm-1m per year), and are senescent within 10-15 years. Their response to pruning varies, but most of the fire followers respond like Hydra to pruning, proliferating branches in the area.
This all, of course, from the perspective of trail crew trying to keep Ceanothus from closing off trails in a single winter season.
There are some truly amazing species out there, Uli's C. leucodermis (and some allied species) with white stems contrasting with blue flowers, and a prostrate species from the northern part of the state (shades varying from white to light blue from plant to plant)...but they are notoriously picky about conditions. C. leucodermis, grows only in a 500ft/200m elevation band on the dry side of the third range of coastal ridges from the ocean, with different species above and below...elsewhere from me, it is similarly restricted where the conditions are similar.

Robert
in fogbound San Francisco

Interesting your comment about trails. I too build, and maintain single track trail networks. But in our area, Ceanothus are not generally our problem. They're a smaller % of the native Chaparral. AND...I don't like to cut them as the color and smell is amazing when they are in full bloom!

Quote from: Too Many Plants! on March 06, 2025, 03:10:35 PMSome of them smell wonderful in flower!

I have heard that but I don't recall having ever found any scent on any here - occasionally one has a smell, not unpleasant, but not something that I would actually call a scent. They must exist otherwise, the comment would not end up in print here. (If I am at a nursery/garden centre, I am the one who sniffs any flower that I don't know, plus any that I know should be scented.)

For sure in the UK they will be positively pampered compared to most? all? of native habitat. The driest part of the UK gets around 24 inches of rain per year, the wettest around 70 inches, both reasonably evenly spread through the year - surprisingly perhaps, both places mild enough in winter for Ceanothus to do OK.

They don't really float my boat, so I have never planted any and never inherited any by chance when moving house.
If I had to guess, I would say that their popularity here has waned/is waning, possibly as a reaction to previous popularity, or their reputation for being short-lived.

The best I can say about some of our Ceanothus is that some of them don't resprout when you lop them at the ground...and they won't germinate without fire. But even if you clear a trail jeep wide, the tall canes just bend into the trail if you get any significant snow or even heavy rain with wind.

With solid fire follower stands, they ARE visually spectacular, turning hillsides pale blue or patchy white. Mostly a weak sweet scent, but pervasive, except for Greenstem (oliganthus?) which can be sickly sweet, especially in massed growth.

Dragging it on topic for a tidbit, after a fire, Calochortus albus will produce a firm set of leaves and flower strongly (the first season from bulb storage), after a couple years it is shaded out by the Ceanothus, reverts to making large lax fragile single leaves that are produced every year in the deep shade until the next time the canopy is opened or a fire comes through.

Robert
sunny, cool, windy, with daffodils and a sprinkling of other fascinating exotics.

Bunch of flowering plants for today

Bit more.  some labels long gone.

Thank you for this lovely picture of wild Ceanothus. I am trying hard to establish Ceanothus in my garden, Blue Jeans is a success. It never gets any irrigation. Whenever I can lay my hands on a Ceanothus here in Portugal, I buy it. They do sometimes appear in the trade but not regularly. Establishing is another job, there are a few small ones, some look promising, others..... Blue Jeans was raised in Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens and  is is a relatively new hybrid.

Hello All,
Back from a nice hike on a crisp Algarvian spring day, I would like to share some impressions with you. It was cold, around 5°C, but sunny, some wind and the occasional raindrop. 

Zantedeschia aethiopica naturalizes beautifully in wet spots. Lots of simple water catchment there, so there must be a spring.

Primula acaulis, also near running water but higher up. I have not seen it before in the Algarve. On a steep north facing slope.

This magnificent cork oak is a survivor of the vicious 2018 wildfires. It's valuable cork had been stripped in 2016, hence the figure 6 still visible. Had it not been stripped two years earlier it would have survived in a better shape.

Quote from: Arnold on March 07, 2025, 01:10:40 PMBit more.  some labels long gone.

I have a large clump G. Tristis, and that top Gladiolus sure looks like Tristis to me...

First Sparaxis Tricolor flowers for the season. Should have many more variations to come...

Cyanella Orchidiformis. (I'm pretty confident now)

Flowers FINALLY opening.

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome...

I forget the name...don't know if any remember I posted these flowers last year n they almost looked white. Well, this years a different story. Wonder what the deal is..?

My very first flowering of my M. Vegeta from a 2023 BX I believe...these first flowers in the ground in full sun are pretty small.

Moraea Vegeta

It is Ipheion uniflorum. There are different colour forms around, the one with the most intense blue for me is ,Jessie'
,Rolf Fiedler' is also a good blue but apparently it is a separate species of which I do not recall the name.
The regular uniflorum is relatively pale blue, older flowers fading to a paler hue, so that is probably your plant 

Quote from: Uli on March 11, 2025, 03:09:50 AMIt is Ipheion uniflorum. There are different colour forms around, the one with the most intense blue for me is ,Jessie'
,Rolf Fiedler' is also a good blue but apparently it is a separate species of which I do not recall the name.
The regular uniflorum is relatively pale blue, older flowers fading to a paler hue, so that is probably your plant

Last year they came up from the start basically looking white. Some flowers barely had a hint of blue hue in certain light.

Quote from: Wylie on March 10, 2025, 08:31:15 AM

Melasphaerula graminea is a small flowered bulb that has a lot of flowers on a single stem.

Still blooming in my greenhouse (volunteer in an Amorphophallus pot). It appears the musty scent is an evening thing, replacing the sweetness of the day.

Robert
about to get hammered with rain in San Francisco

Tecophilea violiflora

Sparaxis Tricolor. 

Though Robin says many of my S. Tricolor are hybrids, with most likely elegans and Pillansii. Some of them look hybrid to me. So I guess I don't know which are, and are not. Even so...I look forward to their winter cheer every year!

Interesting note on the clump pictured. These pink and white flowers look quite different than they have in past years. Darker pink, and less white. 

First Flowers of my Babiana Rubrocyanea. OR, are they B. Regia???

Everything in cultivation circulation here in the US is called B. Rubro as far as I know, but I've often wondered...I have 4 different clumps in my Garden. (I can't remember how many for sure, but from at least two different sources)

Ipheion uniflorum seems to be very variable in its flower colors depending on temperature - that may explain your experience.

Talking about variable color: When Antoine Hoog described "EX09_522 Crocus seed-raised from Crocus exiguus, multi-colored" I was hopeful, and I have not been disappointed - just the kind of variation I adore: lines, patterns, and differences between inner and outer petals. That patch is a little bit weather worn as we just have left a a wet and cool week, but they are still lovely in their individuality.
Even more color power is of course in Tulipa kaufmanniana

- thanks to an all day conference I missed them being open over a week ago as first tulips every year, but they also handled the week of bad wetter quite well. But color power isn't everything - Colchicum szovitsii

'Tivi' is one of my favourite spring colchicums, and the pale ice blue of Puschkinia scilloides

is quite charming as well - and at least for now it's not such a weed like the Chinoscillas which pop up everywhere.

Just a few crazy snowdrops.  I think there are two duplicate cultivar flowers, the remaining are different.  Overnight it went down to 24F/-4C and they're all down on the ground.

The orchid is Pterostylis curta from the BX last year.

Michael
Interlaken NY z6

drop25.jpgorchid25.jpg

Cyanella Orchidiformis in FULL flower now.

Amorphophallus dunnii

No  discernible scent

Babiana Rubrocyanea in Full GLORIOUS bloom!! 

Sparaxis Tricolor.

Morning Sunshine 🌞 on my Moraea Aristata! Most photos don't do it justice...

Moraea Vegeta

Let's start with a philosophical question: is it still a bulb lawn, if the dominant species is Primula acaulis? Well the Scilla luciliae

does its very best to counteract. Staying with the Scilloideae, Muscari 'Rosy Sunrise' (EX09) and  Pseudomuscari chalusicum

are out as well. Next picture shows a few more specimen of the Crocus exiguus hybrids @Antoine Hoog donated in EX09.
But spring isn't all vibrant colors - at least there are Iris tuberosa and Fritillaria sewerzowii

to remind you of the greys and browns...

With all those species in the open garden, let's not forget what's in the pots - like this Himantoglossum robertianum

Height:	45-80 cm (1.5-2.6 ft)
Flower Colors:	pink, purple, white, patterned
Flower Season:	mid spring
Special:	fragrant
Life form:	tuber

.

Quote from: Martin Bohnet on March 23, 2025, 08:17:58 AMLet's start with a philosophical question: is it still a bulb lawn, if the dominant species is Primula acaulis? 

Hi Martin, Love your flowering "bulb lawn"!

Sparaxis Tricolor (or is it a hybrid ?)

Lost the tag on this guy...maybe it's a Scilla ?

Scilla peruviana

Moraea Vegeta - is proving to be a pretty good flowerer for being new to my garden (2023 BX), growing in the ground in mostly full sun. While (so far) these are small flowers, they are very ornate and interesting to appreciate. And as I've watched them progress, I've been pleasantly surprised by their display! If the flowers could get a bit bigger in a few years these will be real Winners!! These would be Fantastic for pot culture up close viewing on shelves or a window sill!!!

Ferraria Crispa - what I consider to be the quintessential Crispa (or standard) color.

Such fun, ornate, aromatic, and unique flowers! I believe these star fish of The Cape and Namaqualand, are truly underrated!

Sparaxis Elegans

These are my first S. Elegans I acquired, different genetics than prior posts this past couple months. Those previously posted have a more elaborate and colorful center ring.

Sparaxis Tricolor

Always enjoy these guys...

Here's a Rogue post... 😁 my yellow tipped Sago. I acquired a few of these over the years keeping my eyes peeled on the HD n Lowe's inventory. This one has by far turned out the nicest. Some of the others yellow tips brown after a while. This guys yellow tips stay nice. It's even a bit more striking in person than the pics show.  

And I'll try to make up for my rogue post with another Geophyte post... 

Tulipa bifloriformis

Greetings from Sardinia. Finally sunny after almost a week of harsh wind and rain, here are some survivors.

Thank you for putting the name under each picture.

So March is almost over - lets end with a few "miracles": First of all my first flower of Iris bucharica since 2017 - at it's original place it had been overgrown by a tree peony and dwindled away due to the lack of light after flowering - I guess i transplanted it at the last possible moment and it took years to recover, but here we are. The other Juno in flower right now is a white form of Iris vicaria

.

Not exactly miraculous: Bellevalia cyanopoda

Height:	0-20 cm (0-7.9 inch)
Flower Colors:	blue, pink, white
Flower Season:	mid spring
Life form:	deciduous bulb

- still a bit lucky as the flower is often destroyed by late frosts. But frost wasn't that hard this season at all, which probably helped Romulea bulbocodium

var crocea surviving outside in Germany - @Antoine Hoog donated such a big package that I felt safe to risk some in the open garden, and here they are. As there are both pure yellow and yellow-whitish specimen I guess some are hybrids with the nominal R. bulbocodium?

It changes color. Romulea bulbocodium subsp. crocea starts to flower in plain yellow and fades to a paler yellow with white tips. Thus it seems like several forms are mixed.

Quote from: Diane Whitehead on March 30, 2025, 08:42:03 AMThank you for putting the name under each picture.

I like that as well.

Ledebouria galpinii

Here's my March send off...🎆🧨🎇 Exciting first flowering in my garden!

Gladiolus Equitans

A multi-day picture lapse leading up to today's fully open flowers...saying sayonara March.

I planted 3 bulbs 2 years ago, 2 from another source, and one from our 2023 BX.

Thank you to those PBS folks that share the bulb Love!!

Flowers are smaller than I thought they'd be. Maybe they'll get bigger in time. And hopefully next year all three will leaf out and at least two will flower. Hoping to make seed...

See ya' March ✌🏻

Dioscorea discolor
Glad I found one tuber at the very bottom of the pot. Sad it didn't multiply. This year I will water and fertilize more.
Btw all three stem cuttings I made last year rooted and made some friends happy. Will dot that again this year.