Ookow-Dichlostemma TOW
Jane McGary (Fri, 30 May 2003 09:11:32 PDT)
Ken Hixson wrote,
Incidentally, in more than twenty years, the Bloomeria has
survived +5F
at least once, and I see no reason to believe it is not entirely hardy here.
I will admit that it rarely stays at +5F for more than an hour or two, so the
cold probably doesn't penetrate the ground. The +15F usually given may be
inaccurate, simply reflecting the coldest it has gotten in its native range
in California.
I have Bloomeria crocea, grown from seed of a population in the coastal
hills between Monterey and Salinas, in my rock garden where it has survived
5 F for a lot longer than an hour or two (I live in the same region as Ken
but at a higher elevation). I was surprised by its persistence. The plants
on the rock garden flower a week or so later than those in the bulb frame,
which are much more robust, I must admit. For comparison, Alstroemeria
psittacina, which Ken mentioned as invasive in his garden, does not survive
the winters here. Dichelostemma congestum and Triteleia hyacinthina both
grow well in the open garden in a well-drained border, as do several other
Triteleia species. I am gradually adding species to the garden as I get a
surplus in the frame collection.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon but probably more like Z6