Sternbergia and Zephyranthes
Jane McGary (Sun, 27 Oct 2013 11:55:23 PDT)

I can't help with Kathleen's question about Zephyranthes, except to
suggest that her home on the Pacific shore doesn't get enough summer
heat (especially at night) for them to flower. Also, she may be
misinterpreting their annual cycle, which is different from that of
Mediterranean and Western American bulbs. I've given up on
Zephyranthes because I also get mostly leaves. They did better when I
had them in a solarium that stayed warm at night.

Sternbergia lutea, which is the species usually grown in gardens,
also needs plenty of warmth while the buds are forming during the
dormant stage, and does best with a dry summer although this is not a
strict requirement. Mine flower lavishly in the warmer environment of
the bulb house but only moderately in the sunny rock garden. They
respond well to fertilizer, and would especially need this in
Kathleen's sandy soil.

Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA

At 10:27 AM 10/27/2013, you wrote: