Mary Sue (and Bob), I'm glad you pointed this out. I had no idea of the problem with this particular species in mediterranean climates! I only have a single pot of it, and it did form some corms along the stalk here as well. I also personally didn't think it looked as good in flower as many other Watsonias do. But since I know that some things are a matter of personal taste, and that some people want to try new things or get every species in a given genus, I didn't want the extra corms, so I sent them to Dell. Of course those who have to give it protection won't have a problem with it. But I think I'm just going to dispose of the whole plant. I'm not sure where I got the originals from--it was from some online offer--but no one mentioned its problems then... Thanks again, --Lee >Dear John, > >The Watsonias are crowding out the beautiful native plants along >highway One. I know that you have a fondness for Watsonia, but this >one because it produces all those cormlets in the stalk and seed and >expands below as well is a menace. The cormlets get projected out a >way and soon the area expands dramatically so all you see for quite >a distance is Watsonia and much of the year dead Watsonia leaves >which aren't attractive at all. No one comes along the road to cut >back those leaves and destroy the corms so every year they expand. >And to my mind the flower on this species is not dramatic for very >long. It is rare that I have seen it looking very attractive when I >have passed it on the highway. There are some Watsonias that have >also naturalized along our coast that are really very pretty for >several weeks in the spring. Their clumps expand where they have >been planted, but you don't see the area around them in every >direction become solid Watsonias. > >I wish there was a way that nurseries were prohibited from selling >this species to anyone in California and hope Lee will never plant >his out. When I explained the problem to Jim Duggan he took this >species out of his catalog and I appreciate Lauw doing this as well. >If we know that a plant can be a problem in one temperate >Mediterranean climate it seems important to do what we can to >prevent it becoming a problem in any others. > >Mary Sue > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php