On 15-Sep-11, at 5:52 PM, Mary Sue Ittner wrote: > From Mountain Flowers by Elsa Pooley: > Albuca shawii > 150-400 mm. on cliffs, in rocky grassland, up to 2400 m. E Cape to > Limpopo Prov. Leaves covered with **short sticky hairs**. Flowers > few, more or less 15 mm, yellow, **nodding**, scented (Sep-Feb.) > > ** is used to indicate the important distinguishing features > It looks as though we have a good selection in cultivation, then, as it does not have "few" flowers, but about a dozen, each on a long pedicel so that the flowers are held gracefully out from the stem. Yes, the short sticky hairs are distinctive, and the leaves smell good. I have seen different descriptions of the scent, some saying like anise. I think it smells more like a conifer, so I went around the yard, pinching the needles on all my conifers, and decided it was most like Alberta spruce - Picea glauca. (I've just looked this up, and back east they consider this spruce smells like a skunk. I can assure you neither my Alberta spruce nor my Albuca smell bad.) Mine flowered in three years from seed. Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada cool mediterranean climate moderate dry summers, moderate rainy winters 68 cm rain (27 in)