Crinum x powellii
James Waddick (Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:08:44 PDT)

Dear Arnold and all,
I consider Crinum x powellii an 'entry level drug' for
northern gardeners and I am very happy to hear of your success,
Arnold.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/…

The "Commercial/Dutch' (C/D)strain I have grown for decades
and am still amazed at its size, vigor hardiness and bloom-ability. I
highly recommend it for anyone who doesn't "believe".
The flowers can be short lived individually especially in the
heat of summer, but the bulbs produce up to 4 or 5 scapes each and
with a dozen and more flowers per scape the impact is terrific.
And after giving hundreds of pounds of bulbs and dug hundreds
more, I feel it is one of the least garden worthy of the hardy
crinums. Alas.

I still have a ton of bulbs and a few large plantings with
dozen of stalks in bloom right now, but the flowers are (compared to
other xpowellii clones and other hardy Crinum) inferior in too many
ways.

The petals are narrow and the flowers do not open widely. The
color is less than 'special'.

Now that you have been infected, time to go on to others. The
most available clone that I feel is superior is the C/D of C. x
powellii alba = this is a whole different critter. The petals are
wide, the flowers large and well formed, the other characteristics
are great.

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/…

Another slightly better pink than the typical C/D clone is
'Cecil Houdyshell". It is slightly richer and opens wider.

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/…

Even better is 'Nestor's pink opening still wider and with
wider petals.

But I am more and more convinced that the real leap is to
another level and that is "Super Ellen' a cross between "Ellen
Bousantquet' which is not reliably hardy for me and C. bulbispermum.
The results are exceptional.

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/…

Though it may be a bit big for many gardens it is worthy of
the space. The flowers are 'splendid', numerous, huge and "magnetic".

I grow a few other x powellii from various sources some even
worse than the typical C/D strain - it's got to go.

So now is a god time to look over the catalogs and order a
few more. Save your pennies for 'Super Ellen' - and a prominent spot
in the garden, too.

Best Jim W.

--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +