Jim: So, which species have you found that don't like summer baking? Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdelights.com/ phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent James Waddick wrote: > Dear All; > A number of topics have been brought up here that I think I > can address at least in part. > > Sun or Shade - I have seen a few species in bloom in the > wild in a few locations and many in bloom in cultivation. > Most species are found only in shade, but your definition of > shade 'depends' . They are common in woodland edges where they may > get a brief exposure to full sun, others are in open deciduous > woodlands. In both cases their foliage would be in more sun when the > foliage is active and their bloom in shade due to their growth cycle. > I grow most of mine in some shade. > Some Lycoris tolerate a LOT of sun, but it is climate > dependant. Remember foliage is ONLY present in times of the year when > sun is at 'low power' fall, early spring or winter. > > Bulbs DO NOT want summer baking, but some can tolerate it to > some degree. > > and incidentally. Every species I have seen growing wild in China has > been in a very mild climate. The bulbs were essentially at the > surface in very damp sites. Year round wet sites. Even in cold > climate the bulbs grow very shallowly. They benefit from year round > watering. > > > Sterile/Fertile the two most common Lycoris L. squamigera and > L. radiata are represented in cultivation by sterile triploid forms. > They (rarely) never produce viable seeds . These are very vigorous > and tolerate a wide variety of climates. > Here in the midwest masses of L. squamigera are common. In milder > climates L. radiata (ssp radiata) are even more common and often > considered agricultural weeds. They clog rice terraces in places and > I have seen heaps of small bulbs tossed aside in weeding. > > Other species are very fertile and produce voluminous seed- > L. longituba, L. chinensis., L. sprengeri. Seeds are large, rounded > like small peas. Seeds germinate well, but are slow to reach blooming > size. They are also very interfertile and form hybrid swarms from > yellow to white, orange pink and peach shades. It makes ID very > confusing. I have self sown seedlings in the garden from various > species. > > Price I never understand this, but they all seem to be > coming more and more specialty bulbs. They do have an odd life cycle > which means the best time to divide, move, replant is from June to > August with little root drying in the process. Bulbs submitted to > Dutch regimes of summer digging, drying and holding until Oct sales > are severely stressed and often are extremely slow to recover and > resume bloom. Although the genus contains at least 25 species and > numerous ssp and countless hybrids, few are common in commerce. > Misidentification is extremely common. The best deal is to buy them > direct from a specialty grower who knows how to handle them or potted > for minimal disturbance. > > US versus UK Most Chinese Lycoris (most Lycoris) come from > the continental climates of E and Central China. They do best in > continental climates of E and Central US. The UK has a far more > moderate climate without either summer or winter extremes. I'd think > some of the Japanese species would do well there. > Some species are quite hardy easily growing unprotected in > parts of Zone 4 in the US. > > Critique L. squamigera is a near perfect > garden subject for the midwest (at least). Totally hardy in Zone 5, > with essentially no pests or diseases and blooms heavily in a time > when few other plants are in flower. With a collection of various > species and hybrids, bloom season can extend for 6 or more weeks. If > it has any faults it is the voluminous foliage in spring, but that > soon disappears and can be over planted with a variety of other > summer growing plants. > > Drop me a private email and I'll send you a few pix of > recently blooming species and hybrids. jwaddick@kc.rr.com. > > Best Jim W. > >