Scilla madeirensis
Brian Whyer (Fri, 14 Nov 2014 03:04:49 PST)
Neat - I'll check mine tomorrow.
On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 8:36 PM, Kenneth <k.preteroti@verizon.net> wrote:
Hello all. I do not know if everyone who recently purchased Scilla
madeirensis planted
their bulbs yet, but I did. One of mine has just began to produce leaves.
What I found interesting is a rather succulent root is popping out of the
drainage hole. Similar to an iceberg I bet most of the growth is under
ground.
In the UK they flower and produce seed best if brought into growth in late summer. If I leave it too late and have them flowering in autumn when I have to move them under glass to protect from the first frosts (in a normal year?) they flower OK but I get no seed and the dead flowers get mildew and drop off. They seem to need bees etc. around for pollination. I have tried artificial pollination but I am nowhere as good as the bees who get almost all the flowers setting. I got some seed even with only 1 clone initially. Kew used to get no seed set when they left it late starting.
Brian Whyer, Buckinghamshire, England, zone ~8 ish