Eucrosia

[Rdevries]

These Eucrosia mirabilis seedlings were grown from ebay sourced seed started in 2014. This is the first time blooming. One stem bloomed several months ago at 3 feet tall when it was still "cold" outside, now three are blooming at 24" to 30" tall. 

In the past my Eucrosia mirabilis have always been green to slightly yellow with greenish white to cream colored anthers but in this batch one has yellow tepals like Eucrosia aurantiaca.  My E auratiaca are still sleeping in large pots on my hot driveway and are much larger plants. So i do not think the yellow one is E aurantiaca. 

Can E mirabilis be yellow or are these a hybrid? 

[MLoos]

Hi Rimmer,

WOW!  How fantastic!!!  I was so pleased with my single plant coming into bloom.  Your collection of them is striking -  that you brought them to bloom in 8 years is commendable.  Knowing that particular species (slightly) but also understanding the definition of what it means to be a "species", I would suggest that the plants you have are variations of the single species, E. mirabilis, that fit within the range of the definition of the species and not hybrids with E.auratiaca.  Just my two cents.  Alan Meerow would really have a more definitive answer.

Are those simply quart nursery pots?  I've been working with an 8" pot for all these years and only got it to bloom this past season.  What is the medium?  I went from a more moisture retentive medium to mostly pumice in the last two years and it seems to be better.  It also appeared to respond to heavier fertilization.  Is that the case with you?  Reading the Curtis Botanical article helped me understand the native growing conditions and I think those cultural changes got it to bloom.  My tray of seedlings seem much more interesting now that I may be able to get them to blooming size sooner than 18 years.

Thank you for sharing those pictures.

Michael

[Rdevries]

They are in 6" x 9" tall long tom plastic pots. The mix is pine bark fines and pumice about 50:50 give or take. 

I grow my E auratiaca in 100% pumice in taller clay pots For past 9 yrs. they typically bloom in spring bit not this year.