Eucomis - Topic of the Week

I have a very large specimen here however 5-6ft high tends to end up 5-6ft
across when laying flat across the ground during rain. The specimen here is
in the heaviest coolest and moistest soil in our garden, a clay loam.
The main bulb is a monster, last time I dug it, it probably weighed in XS of
20lb, (5 bulbs all joined together). This year it has come good as in the
past the leaves have been narrower and sprawling, this year, probably due to
our warmer spring the leaves are much wider at their base and are very much
stronger. More sword like.

We are growing all of these species in dry sand...even the moisture

loving ones. They are amazingly durable.

Yes I find this but they become limp very quickly in the sun, and I've found
the sun here is getting stronger as the years go on.

Regarding leaf cuttings, we have found these to be most successful when

taken early in the season...late season cutting rot easier. E. comosa is
the easiest to root.

Thanks for that and for the description of E. montana flowers. I find E.
comosa easier to root also, but it's nice to know that new leaves are less
problematic.

Incidentally, I also find that if you cover them with newspaper to shade
them, the amount of rot will increase, and which is probably due to ethylene
production during the rotting process. Hence any shading has to be of a
netting material to allow ventilation. Well we all learn the hard way.

Best Wishes,
Dave

Websites:
http://www.theafricangarden.com/
http://www.crocosmiaheritage.com/

Address:
David Fenwick
NCCPG National Collection of Crocosmia with Chasmanthe and Tulbaghia
The African Garden
96 Wasdale Gardens
Estover
Plymouth
Devon
England
PL6 8TW

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Avent" <tony@plantdel.com>
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2003 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: [pbs] Eucomis - Topic of the Week

David:

Thanks for the great write-up on eucomis. They are also marvelous here in
North Carolina, where they have been completely hardy...down to at least 5
degrees F, (many have been to 0 degrees F when we used to get that low).

E. zambesiaca is truly superb in the garden, but amazingly is a poor
seller. The leaves on E. autumnalis var. autumnalis feel just like tire
rubber. I've seen few other plants with this texture of foliage.

Eucomis montana has flowered for us and has the best flowers that we have
seen in the genus. It appears as though the dark purple anthers are

fused,

creating a dark eye against the white petals.

E. pole-evansii has flower spikes of 3-3.5', but never the 5-6' that I
read about. Does this giant spiked plant actually exist?

We are growing all of these species in dry sand...even the moisture loving
ones. They are amazingly durable.

Regarding leaf cuttings, we have found these to be most successful when
taken early in the season...late season cutting rot easier. E. comosa is
the easiest to root and E. autumnalis has proven the most difficult. They
do not seem to like a constant mist, as this causes them to rot.

Tony Avent
Plant Delights Nursery @
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, NC 27603 USA
Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F
Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F
USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
email tony@plantdelights.com
website http://www.plantdel.com/
phone 919 772-4794
fax 919 772-4752
"I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least
three times" - Avent
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