Jim McKenney wrote: >With respect to the use of Crinum as cut flowers: it seems to me that >the individual flowers of the Crinum I know are ephemeral - I mean >literally ephemeral. A single spathe will contain many, sometimes >dozens, of buds; but the individual flowers go fast. Or am I mistaken >about this: maybe the flowers droop during the day and firm up at >night? > >Have others had the same experience? Jim, In my experience, most Crinum flowers last 2-3 days, although a few kinds will open in the evening and wilt by the next morning. With regards to how long a scape will bloom, some Crinum open almost all of their flowers at once (americanum) and others are more sequential (moorei). Crinum with low bud counts that open all at once will have scapes that last only a few days, even if those few days are glorious. I would say that most of my Crinums have scapes that are attractive for about a week before all of the flowers fade and they fall over, although I have had some last twice that long if they bloom during cooler autumn weather. In very hot weather, especially while in the hot sun, Crinum flowers can partially wilt and then become pretty again in the evening. Most mature bulbs will produce multiple scapes per year and a big clump containing many blooming size bulbs can remain in bloom a long time, so even though the individual flowers may be short lived, the show is not. X Amarcrinum scapes, because of their longevity, would make better cut flowers than Crinum in the same way that Nerine make better cut flowers than Lycoris. All of these plants have beautiful flowers that look great in a vase, it is just a matter of how long they last. Jay Yourch Central North Carolina, USA (USDA Zone 7)