Hi Gang, One of my new favorite crinums is putting up its 5th scape since March 1 of this year; all the flowers come from a single large bulb that I dug out of an abandoned pasture a few years ago. The plant didn't do anything for 2 years and then bloomed nicely last year with tall flowers of very good substance and size. I've noticed a couple of small offsets, so perhaps it will increase into a well behaved clump over the years; after 3-4 years it is only making a small effort at offsets. This plant is rapidly turning into my favorite crinum because of the early bloom, the tall flowers in early spring, the good substance, and because the color is good. It is not a brilliantly colored flower, but it is creamy white with dull magenta stripes--you don't see it 100 ft. away but at 10 ft. it is a knockout and the height is very good (about 34 inches). Another benefit is that it is evergreen here (we had a low of 23 F this winter). It sets some seed but I've never kept any; by the timing I assume it is not outcrossed and is self-fertile or parthenogenic. Where is the photo for my new favorite crinum? This is a tricky plant for me to photograph, I don't know why. Instead I'll send you to a photo by Alani Davis on the PBS Wiki. My plant is similar but you have to imagine the petals are creamy white (not pink) and the stripes are darker and duller (like dusty magenta). LINK: Crinum photo, by A. Davis (resembles my new "favorite crinum") http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… Now that my plant has settled in; I'll be very curious to see if it blooms again in the fall. Some C. bubispermum-types send up flowers again after the hot summer weather recedes. They can bloom sporadically till frost. I'm only guessing, but I suspect these plants would bloom from October till May in zone 11. Cordially, Joe Conroe TX
