The bulbs which perennalize? naturalize?
Jane McGary (Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:50:25 PDT)

"Fierycloud" in Taiwan wrote:

I think it's not possible to predict this based only on climate. Many
other factors affect how a bulbous plant can perennialize in one spot
or another, including drainage, and especially the presence of
predators and diseases. For example, some people in my own area say
they cannot grow Narcissus because they always die. This may be
caused by bulb fly, or perhaps by bad drainage. Yet my daffodils do
well, and I hope they will also do well in my new garden. It has bad
soil (too much clay), but I'll improve it before I plant anything,
and most of the garden slopes. Some books will tell you that
hyacinths are suitable only for annual bedding, but my old garden has
hyacinths that have flowered in place for 20 years. Some bearded
irises, particularly recent cultivars, do not perennialize
effectively, but others, especially the oldest kinds, will take over
an area even in competition with other plants (something most new
cultivars can't tolerate). On the other hand, the soil and climate in
the old garden are very suitable for crocuses, but there are so many
voles there that I could never keep any except in turf, where in fact
they self-sow (this is how many crocuses grow in nature). There are
no voles at my new place, but there are introduced eastern American
squirrels, which I'll have to control if I want crocuses outside the
bulb house.

In summary, it would be difficult for me to say what bulbs, other
than Colchicum, "perennialize" in my own area, and it would be even
more difficult for vendors to say, because most of them offer stock
that's grown under very artificial conditions and never allowed to
perennialize. The only advice I can offer is one of the best pieces
of advice ever given to me: "Try everything."

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA