I think that I have probably seen the same population of Leucojum vernum in the Czech Republic as Diane Whitehead: it's swampy ground along a stream running through an Alder (Alnus) wood and certainly very squelchy at flowering time. Although it probably dries out considerably in summer, the Alder trees indicate that it must remain reasonably damp throughout the year. Here at Colesbourne Leucojum vernum flourishes in shallow dry soil under deciduous and coniferous trees where the soil dries out completely in summer - quite contrary to all normal ideas about the species' requirements. The plants in these conditions seem in fact to do better than those in damp grass by the lake. John Grimshaw Dr John M. Grimshaw Sycamore Cottage Colesbourne Nr Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 9NP Tel. 01242 870567 COLESBOURNE PARK SNOWDROP OPEN DAYS 2007 Every Saturday and Sunday in February (3/4, 10/11, 17/18, 24/25) and 3/4 March Gates open 1pm, last entry 4 pm website: http://www.colesbournegardens.org.uk/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Diane Whitehead" <voltaire@islandnet.com> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 5:41 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] A question - Leucojum vernum > Diane Whitehead wrote: > >> When I saw where L. vernum was growing in the wild in the Czech >> Republic, I knew why they never survived for me. It was in the same >> squelchy conditions where I would expect our native Lysichiton >> americanus. > > Rodger Whitlock wrote: > Was it a site that is always squelchy, or just seasonally so? Our > native skunk cabbage grows in some sites that are pretty dry in the > summer. > > They were in a low area along a stream, with additional moisture > being provided by melting snow. It would be drier in summer, but I'm > sure it is never dry. > > There is a photo of them growing in a similar condition in Jim > Jermyn's book, Alpine Plants of Europe. The photo is in Timber > Press' online excerpt: http://www.timberpress.com/pdfs/excerpts/ > 9780881927344e.pdf > > Diane Whitehead > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.413 / Virus Database: 268.18.5/707 - Release Date: 01/03/2007 > >