Hyacinthella dalmatica
Jane McGary (Wed, 31 Mar 2004 18:14:32 PST)
MArk McDonough asked,
I'm smitten with Jane McGary's photo of Hyacinthella dalmatica. Jane, can
you tell us a little something about it, how hardy is it for example. Is
there a seed source you know of. The plump azure knobs of bloom, nearly
at the soil surface, show this to be a true rock garden treasure.
I don't know how hardy this Hyacinthella is. I grow it plunged in a frame
that is covered only from about mid-November to late January. It does not
increase much vegetatively, nor do the several other Hyacinthella species I
grow. So, anyway, it and the others are hardy to at least 20 degrees F
(minus 6 C). H. dalmatica is the latest to flower, and this form,
'Grandiflora', is sometimes offered in Dutch lists, as is an 'Alba' form of
that species. I've never seen other species offered as bulbs, but Jim and
Jenny Archibald sell seed of a number of species. Those I've grown are all
rather similar, differing mostly in the shape and size of the leaves and
the size of the flowers. All of them start out as fat little spikes
enclosed in a pair of leaves. The spikes elongate as they age and go to
seed. All are very small plants, suitable for pots or troughs. They come
from the Balkans east into Turkey and south into Israel.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA