Lycoris frustration

J.E. Shields jshields104@insightbb.com
Wed, 04 Aug 2004 07:17:27 PDT
Dear all,

I too am always delighted when Lycoris time rolls around again!  I love 
these plants.

I have the same range of chinensis plus hybrids plus typical longituba that 
Jim Waddick has -- after all, my bulbs came from him!  I'm thinking of 
tagging them as to color and probably identity too.  I just hate to disturb 
them, for fear they will stop blooming for a couple of years; but I 
probably will, although again the question is "When?"  Immediately after 
bloom would be logical for the mere sake of keeping track of which is which 
color variant.  I assume however, as Jim W. did, that the summer dormant 
period would be better for transplanting.

Re: transplanting Lycoris, I assume the critical point is, when do the 
bulbs grow new roots?  I don't know when this time period occurs for this 
genus.

One longituba we have here has a lovely pink cast to the open flowers, from 
buds that are a rich rose color before they open.  It too seems to have 
relative large flowers.  It's raining today, but I'll try to get a digital 
image tomorrow.

I am also interested in anyone propagating these bulbs and how they are 
doing it.  I'll definitely be  watching for individual bulbs that have 
produced offsets.  In want of artificial propagation, selection may be the 
next best approach.  Any comment or suggestions, anyone?

I'm taking pictures of these with a variety of cameras.  Older pictures of 
these plants can be found on my web site 
at:  http://shieldsgardens.com/amaryllids/… and follow the 
links to genus Lycoris.  I'll expand those pages when I have additional 
pictures of potential interest.

I have noted that Lycoris [chinensis X haywardii] bulbs are coming back 
quite reliably each year, and blooming.  Also, they are offsetting well.  I 
assume they are seedlings, but they flowers look nearly identical to 
me.  This and a couple others (all from China by way of Jim Waddick) are 
shown at:  http://shieldsgardens.com/amaryllids/…

I wish we could develop a source of reliably named bulbs of Lycoris, 
selected by color etc.  If anyone is doing this, please get in touch with 
me privately at  <jshields@indy.net>

Best regards
Jim Shields
in rainy central Indiana


*************************************************
Jim Shields             USDA Zone 5             Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92              WWW:    http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344     or      toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA


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