This winter was relatively mild in Central Texas - above 28F or so except
for one period of three days and nights below 20F. This sudden change in
temperature from 50/60F killed inhabitants of 30 or 35 pots (terra cotta
and plastic), buckets and tubs of both seedlings and well established
bulbs, including rain lilies, sprekelia, hymenocallis, hippeastrum.
Seedlings included pots of gladiolus youngsters, crinum eucharidifolia,
lycoris, more rare sorts of rhodophiala, all smaller bulbs of z
grandiflora, all katherina both yellow and red, lindleyana, entire large
tubs of 'Aquarius' which never sets seeds for me, etc. What may have been
the cause of much of this damage, besides such sudden temperature change,
might have been the unusual condition of having daytime freezing
temperatures for these three days. This would have been quite uncommon.
Potted calla lilies and those with their pots still in water did not die,
which surprised me. The ground probably did not freeze so no bul
bs there were affected. I was surprised that the "trunk" of my crinum
asiaticum and a few of its hybrids came through unscathed. And of course
the crinum bulbispermum kept all their leaves intact and were still ready
for anything. Other staples of gardens in this area such as ornamental
spineless opuntias and many agaves froze, as well.

Cynthia W Mueller
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