Oh, I have to reminisce a little here! Many years ago I spoke in Pittsburgh to the NARGS chapter there, and before my talk I was taken to visit the gardens of Carl Gehenio (now deceased). Carl was a generous man, and he gave me several things, one of which was Allium perdulce. It wasn't in bloom; he insisted I must have it; I will have to admit it barely registered with me. I did plant it, carelessly, without much regard for conditions, and it thrived. By the time it bloomed I'd lost the tag and forgotten what it was, but I certainly was impressed by the fragrance. About the same time Aaron F. extolled its virtues to me and told me I had to try it, even if I avoided alliums as a group. I finally put two and two together, and realized I'd had it for years. When I moved, I brought what I could find (my husband having managed to pull most of it when he was "weeding"), and three years later I have three healthy little clumps. These postings remind me that I need to move them to a place where they won't be drowned by neighboring plants. Nice memories! Ellen On Wed, Apr 8, 2015 at 10:48 AM, aaron floden via pbs <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > wrote: > This really is a great Allium. While at K-State I made an effort to > relocate this in the wild. I worked at the herbarium and found about a > dozen specimens of it on file, most of which were historical (>30 years > old) and also mostly mis-ID'd as nuttallii. Over two spring seasons I > visited all these locations. The first year was a complete bust with zero > of the visited sites still extant. It was all corn and wheat thanks to the > SAD. I did find a few Allium drummondii sites though. The next spring I > managed to find one site growing with Tradescantia tharpii in a quickly > draining sand on an east facing slope. Though the sand drained quickly it > still held a lot of moisture in the abscence of rain. > Two weeks later I went further west to Barton County and found a site by > nose first and then saw the plants growing in standing water flowering in > clumps of about 20-30 bulbs. The soil was black loess that is a wetland in > the spring and nearly bone dry in the summer. These are the plants that I > sent out to numerous people and are the ones Jim mentions. The scent is > beautiful as is the plant. Sadly, Mine seem to have dissappeared here in my > Tennessee garden, but drummondii is till multiplying. > Aaron > > > From: Jim McKenney <jamesamckenney@verizon.net> > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2015 10:11 AM > Subject: Re: [pbs] Allium perdulce > > Thanks, Jim Waddick, for boosting one of my favorite plants. And > unfortunately for me, it's not one I grow. And you are so right about the > scent: that's why I will jump if I ever see plants or seed offered. Seed > has been offered on the NARGS exchange in the past, but my bid was > unsuccessful.I learned about this plant years ago when I saw it at a rock > garden show. It's been on my want list since. > Jim McKenneyMontgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where there is > something in bloom every way I look. > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > -- Ellen Hornig 212 Grafton St Shrewsbury MA 01545