Sternbergia

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com
Sat, 16 Dec 2006 17:56:40 PST
John Lonsdale asked: "Does anyone on the east coast grow bone fide S.
clusiana in the garden - if

so when does it flower and does it flower before the leaves appear?"

 

 

Although I no longer grow it, I did grow Sternbergia clusiana about
twenty-five years ago when the bulbs were easily available form local garden
centers mixed with the bulbs of Sternbergia lutea. The bulbs are easily
distinguished. I found it difficult to keep because of bulb fly predation.

 

The flowers came in the autumn, long before the foliage which came in
mid-winter. As you mention, the leaves are distinctly green, not glaucous,
and the ones I had did not have the wavy, twisted form seen in Jane's
mystery Sternbergia. The flowers of my plants looked like the ones shown in
the stereo pair images on the wiki - they are not at all like Sternbergia
lutea. 

 

Stermbergia clusiana is the only Sternbergia I have ever known to set seed
in my garden. My plants fruited yearly until they disappeared. 

 

I have photos from that time. 

 

 

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7

My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/

 

Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS 

Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ 

 

Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 


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