Favorite Purple Bulbs--TOW
Jane McGary (Wed, 22 Sep 2004 08:39:00 PDT)

I'm going to assume that "purple" refers to deep violet -- the color of the
darker Dutch crocuses -- rather than bluish red or pale colors that we
might call "lavender."

Given that, the shiny violet of big crocuses is also found in some forms of
Crocus vernus, the ancestor of those large selections, which is not so
showy but less prone to flop over in bad weather, since its tube is
shorter. My favorite is one I bought under the name 'Haarlem Gem'; Antoine
Hoog told me it is not that clone (which has grayish outer segments), but
just a good form of C. vernus ssp. vernus. Similar colors can be found in
the normally paler C. tommasinianus, the rich violets being available in
clones such as 'Whitewell Purple'.

I share Mary Sue's enthusiasm for the gleaming, large-flowered Brodiaea
elegans. Dichelostemma congesta can also be a rich color, though not
always. I have seen a plant said to be the natural hybrid Dichelostemma x
venusta that had flowers of deep red-violet. (Lately we have seen the Dutch
selection 'Pink Diamond' introduced and said to be this same cross, but I
doubt this, having heard the story of its introduction from the original
collector; I suspect 'Pink Diamond' is either a variant of D. ida-maia, or
a hybrid of that species and D. volubile.)

I think the best "purple" in the bulbous irises is to be seen in selections
of Iris latifolia, the "English" iris (it actually comes from Spain). It
resembles "Dutch" (hybrids of Spanish species) irises in form but flowers
later and is more winter-hardy. Many selections of Reticulata iris species
and hybrids are available, most of them in the blue-violet range but some
more red-violet, such as 'George'.

Many fritillarias are described as violet or purple, but the color is not
bright, so although I love the plants I wouldn't offer them as shining
examples of color. The modifiers "dusky," "brownish," and "muddy" are often
used along with "purple" for these flowers.

And let's not forget the genus Allium, which offers many showy species,
especially from Central Asia, in bright violet. Most of them are tall
plants for the border.

There are purple Alstroemerias, most of which are quite tender. The one I
grow is A. phillippii, and it is truly gorgeous -- a small plant with large
flowers of lavender boldly streaked in deep violet -- but I have to
remember to pull the pot out of the frame and carry it into the greenhouse
when deep frost threatens.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA