Urginea maritima
Johannes Ulrich Urban (Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:04:53 PST)

Hello Jane,

Interesting that you garden in two VERY different places, I imagine your
Mexican garden very interesting. I have been to Mexico twice with a long
time in between the trips and found the country extremely intersting
botanically and culturally. But I have not been to Yucatan.

However, I think that Urginea maritima will not grow there as it is a
typical mediterranean bulb with the leaves emerging in late autumn after
the winter rain has started and drying off in spring when it gets warm
again. Mediterranean winters are cool, almost frost free and wet. In
general it is the onset of warm weather that sends the bulb into
dormancy, so that may be the problem in Yucatan. The bulb will "think"
that it is summer (dormancy) all the time. It flowers in early autumn
before the rains start in a leafless state and a large field of flowers
is an impressive sight indeed. Also impressive are the huge bulbs that
sometimes are only half buried in the ground and are well visible this way.

Bye for today,

Uli