In the colder areas, Zones 7, 6, 5, 4, with average minimums at zero F and below, all the evergreen varieties die. The deciduous varieties are tougher. What's being shared here is going to lead me to plant a few more out with my crinums that have gone through zero F° (-17.8 C) and risk a few duplicates that have been cosseted indoors in winter. I think I have the Wayside clone that Ellen mentions, and it will now get divided and a piece set out next to the house. It just finished blooming in a 5 gal pot after being indoors under insufficient light. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Sue Ittner" <msittner@mcn.org> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2010 11:31 AM Subject: Re: [pbs] Agapanthus > Hi, > > It's important to remember that some Agapanthus are deciduous and > some evergreen. Most are from summer rainfall areas and a few from > winter rainfall areas. Species growing in the southwest Cape are no > doubt in the ancestry of most of the plants growing in California. > They are evergreen, winter rainfall. They are often planted and > generally easy to grow and bloom in California (if not eaten by the > deer) and perhaps for some of us a bit boring for that reason. I am > sure these evergreen hybrids and species we grow in California > wouldn't be hardy as even in a colder than usual winter here the > leaves get all mushy. On the other hand on our trip to South Africa > in January we saw species blooming in the Drakensberg Mountains > (summer rainfall) where it gets quite cold in winter. It was hard > not to be impressed with many of them because looking at them often > included a lovely view of land below. These species would be unlikely > to thrive in California, especially if not watered in summer when it > is dry. I have an unknown deciduous species that each year appears in > early summer but never blooms although the friend who gave it to me > has a better watered and warmer summer garden and hers bloom. So once > again it is helpful to learn more about where the plant is found in > the wild to see if you can create the conditions that will keep it > happy. We also saw a species growing with Cyrtanthus in a lower > elevation area in the Eastern Cape where they were growing on what > looked like a rock cliff face, impossible to get close enough for a > good photo. It would be impossible to recreate those kind of > conditions. Obviously attention to drainage would be critical. > > Linda, you would probably have more luck with a summer rainfall > species from a high elevation. Agapanthus africanus is a winter > rainfall plant that blooms best in the wild after fires. It's the one > I expect that is a parent of the ones we grow in California left in > the ground year round. > > Cameron McMaster who is a member of our list collects and sell seeds. > He'd be a good resource I'd think as he could give you information > about where the seed was collected and he really knows the Eastern > Cape as many of us can testify. Some of the species occur over a > broad range of habitats and elevations so where they were collected > could make a difference in their hardiness. > > Mary Sue > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/