More Lycoris; Hardy Androcymbium.

J.E. Shields jshields104@insightbb.com
Wed, 17 Aug 2005 09:28:36 PDT
Hi all,

We have more Lycoris flowering today, after getting some more rain the past 
week.

A beautiful Lycoris [longituba X rosea] that I have had since June, 2001, 
has bloomed today for the first time ever.  It has large, gorgeous light 
pink flowers with the form of L. chinensis but no yellow in it.  Only one 
bulb is flowering, but that one bulb has sent up three scapes at 
once.  This would certainly be a terrific plant to propagate.

I have one longituba that has perfect longituba form but is a pale lavender 
color rather than the almost dead white of typical longituba.  Another 
plant, which pprobably has a trace of chinensis in its family tree 
somewhere, looks like longituba in form but is a light lemon-yellow 
color.  It is definitely another "keeper!"

More chinensis, longituba, and sprengeri clumps are now blooming too.

Other things are flowering as well.  One bulb of Androcymbium melanthoides, 
grown from seed from Silverhill Seeds, is flowering for the first time.  It 
has either split or is putting up two scapes at once.  The seeds were 
started in February, 2001, in the greenhouse.  These were grown and are 
still growing in a 10 inch bulb pan, which has potting mix only 3 inches 
deep.  The flower is being carried on a stem about 3 inches tall, above the 
surface.  This pot has spent the last couple of winters in a cold frame, so 
these few surviving seedlings are somewhat cold hardy.

Should it be grown in a deeper pot?  Is Androcymbium melanthoides a 
candidate for my rock garden here in central Indiana, USDA cold zone 5?

Regards,
Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)

*************************************************
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



More information about the pbs mailing list