X Rhodoxis 'Hebron Farm Biscuit'

[shelagh]

Can anyone help me with a small plant of this?

  I realise it's late in the season but ours are still green.  We have Hebron farm pink and Red Eye and Cerise but this one disappeared some time ago.  I've tried the couple of nurseries which list it but they are either out of stock or seem to confuse it with Hebron Farm Red Eye which is quite different.

It would be nice to have it back again.

Thanks.

[Jon Evans]

Dear Shelagh
I can't help, but I am also looking for a plant - I realised a little while ago that it was one that was no longer with me.
I intend to try Tale Valley Nurseries and Aberconwy.

[shelagh]

Tale Valley say they are not taking any orders for Rhodoxis/Rhodohypoxis till next year Jon.

[mark smyth]

Ian probably has it http://www.mailorderplants4me.com/Perennials/Alpine-Plants

[shelagh]

Sorry Mark I missed your reply.  Guess what he has everything but H F Biscuit, just my luck.

[arisaema]

Edrom seem to have it in stock: http://www.edrom-nurseries.co.uk/shop/pc/X-Rhodoxis-Hebron-Farm-Biscuit-p8061.htm

[Ziria]

Hi, I can't help with a stockist but just with a little info. When Hebron Farm was visited by Hilliard and Burtt,(I think it was), specimens were taken back to Edinburgh BG.
At Hebron Farm, hybrids between Hypoxis and Rhodohypoxis had been found and some had been given "Hebron Farm" names.
Growing these for some years I realised that the 'Hebron Farm Biscuit' wasn't a hybrid but a straight Hypoxis parvula var. albiflora. 'Hebron Farm Biscuit' seems to have avoided scrutiny and have its true identity discovered.
I wrote to Brian Mathew and pointed out the problem, some time later Robert Rolfe wrote up the name change in an AGS bulletin.
It was some time ago and it is stretching my memory somewhat but I am surprised that it is still going round as a hybrid. The white Hypoxis parvula varies in leaf width and flower size, so keeping the cultivar name attached to this species would make some sense.
I was in contact with the owner of Hebron Farm years ago, she mentioned that the pH of the soil around there was 4.0 and it was heavily charged with Aluminium. Obviously these plants can cope with soils and composts that are quite different to what they are used to back home.

[Graeme]

the one in circulation under that name appears to be 'whiter' than the original one I had many years ago - and sadly lost.  It was a more biscuit/milky colour and a lightly larger flower.  Someone must have it somewhere - but I have not seen it for a long time

[brianw]

Can't say I have ever read this up scientifically but is this colour change related to soil pH or aluminium content, or both? Living on chalk I often admire these blue hydrangeas that I cannot grow to perfection.

[Ziria]

Some years ago before he died, Don Mann at his nursery in Rawreth, Essex, used to have seedlings of Hypoxis parv. var. alb. 'Hebron Farm Biscuit' as well as the true plant. The nursery lives on and his grandson Christopher grows many of the plants Don had. Anybody living in the Wickford area could call in and check, Rhodohypoxis used to be grown there by the thousands. It is a wholesale nursery that doesn't mail plants but they will serve calling retail customers, it is called the Forge Nursery, next door to the church.
Kath Dryden spent a lot of time there with Don and his plants, 'Hebron Farm Cerise' came about around this time. It had never seen Hebron Farm in its life but was a seedling raised by one of these two Plantsmen, or should it be PlantsPeople. Another plant that seemed to also arise at the time was what Kath Dryden called Rhodohypoxis "SuperMilloides" which ended up as Rhodohypoxis milloides 'Don Mann'. Somewhat like a tetraploid form, some descriptions online don't seem to match this giant milloides they had in stature and the name is now more formal, "Donald Mann".

[shelagh]

Thank you Ziria.  Now I just have to cultivate some friends in the deep south.

[Roma]

At the time you were searching, Shelagh, my x Rhodoxis 'Hebron Farm Biscuit'  had dwindled but has now increased.  I am not sure it is correctly named.  It may be 'Red Eye'.  I got it at a local Garden Centre.  If this is what you are looking for I could spare you a few corms ( or are they tubers? )