Shy bloomers--TOW
Mary Sue Ittner (Sat, 20 Sep 2003 08:05:47 PDT)

Dear All,

I apologize to Marguerite when I didn't see that she did indeed introduce a
topic of the week this week. No one has responded to it. So does that mean
that no one in this group has been able to get bulbs described as "shy
bloomers" to bloom?

What about Childanthus fragrans? Anyone get it to bloom every year? Moraea
ramossissima?

Perhaps we can lump this topic with all those plants that are only supposed
to bloom after a fire. Are some of those plants blooming in cultivation for
some of you? I learned in South Africa that a whole lot of Watsonias only
bloom after a fire. I knew that was true of Cyrtanthus, but hadn't realized
it was true for some species of Watsonia. We saw hillsides of leaves in
South Africa of one species that Henry Pauw told us rarely had more than a
bloom or two, but after a fire the whole hillsides was covered with blooms.
I can't remember which species it was.

I was surprised to hear Rod Saunders describe Moraea lurida in a talk as
one that only blooms after a fire as once mine started blooming it has
bloomed every year. Since Rachel told me that they always collect seed of
that includes both purple and yellow ones and I have only ever seen yellow
ones from those I have grown from their seed I am wondering if the purple
ones need a fire to bloom and not the yellow ones. Just kidding but it is a
puzzle.

Alberto has sent me an introduction for Tigridia so we will talk about it
soon, but I am trying to drum up some business for this topic before the
week is over first.

Mary Sue