Hardy Crinum
J.E. Shields (Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:50:18 PDT)

Sorry for the personal exchange on the list. My e-mail server doesn't like
Tony's address, unless it comes through the list. Something about
"delight" perhaps?

Tony and I are working on hardy crinum forms. While the ones we've
traded seem to be perfectly hardy here, once in the ground, I have had
some losses in the past with late season plantings. Hardy forms include
x-powellii, bulbispermum, variabile, [bulbispermum x lugardiae ex KZN], and
most recently and most attractive, [variabile x bulbispermum].

Crinum lugardiae ex KZN is not at all hardy here itself, and [macowanii x
bulbispermum] are barely hardy here, and don't bloom outdoors in the ground.

My planting of [variabile x bulbispermum] outdoors sets abundant seed,
probably all sibling F2 crosses by bees, and a few of those seeds fall
under the mulch and survive. I have a few self-seeded, volunteer, presumed
F2 plants out there. And this in central Indiana, which used to be USDA
zone 5 but is probably zone 6 now.

Stay tuned for future developments!

Jim Shields
in Westfield, Indiana

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Jim Shields USDA Zone 5
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Lat. 40° 02.8' N, Long. 086° 06.6' W