December 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Tecophilaea King]

Yesterday I harvested some large, specially selected dark red Trillium chloropetalum seed berries, and was pleasantly suprised at the amount of seed produced with some berries supplying up to 150 seeds per pod.
I usually sow the fresh seeds quite thick (in a peat based seed mix)  in a suitable container straight away (with the aril still attached), to stop them drying out, in a cool, shady part of the nursery, and as a rule (with frost during the winter) will germinate freely and sprout plenty of new seedlings in the spring. I never let the seed dry out, after the first good wetting, just keep them moist.
I sometimes bury the whole ripe berry as well next to the dormant rhizomes, (if space is available) with the same results.
As you can see, the berry pictured is just about to break away from the flower pedicel, this is the best time to pick the berries.
Growing trilliums from seed is not always easy, and look forward to hearing from other trillium growers, the method they use, and how they go about raising trilliums from seed? Any other useful tips?

[Lesley Cox]

That would be a good picture Bill, for Maggi's seed ID thread. You's need to keep a few and dry them and photograph those as well, as dried is how almost everyone gets their seed, from the exchanges.

I'd love to try the erythrina from seed. You know me, totally addicted to seeds. Starting to clean up the frits today, a horrid 14C is what the weather man says we're allowed to have, in Dunedin.

[Paul T]

Wow, Bill!!  That's a heck of an amount of seeds from one berry.  If you have excess to requirements of any of your Trillium I would be very interested in a few seeds.  You have some wonderful colours over there in NZ, many of which I would love to try from seed to see if I was lucky enough to replicate them. 

I must get around to preparing and posting a pic of a plant in flower from seed from you many years ago (via the ABA).  First flowering from seed after too many years (I think it should be quicker than it has been)..... Neomarica caerulea.  I am amazed at how many flowers it has had one one stem..... they keep opening in 3's (today another fine example).  I've wanted this for years, so having it finally flower to see it in person is wonderful. 

[Tecophilaea King]

Tigridia vanhouttei Another colourful species of the Tigridia genus flowering at the moment.  Clusters of flowers for a long period in summer. Outer petals pale yellow with purple streaks. Inner cupped petals cream with perfect painted purple veins leading to deep purple center.

[annew]

What a beautiful thing - such a surprise coming from those unassuming green buds.

[David Nicholson]

Very nice indeed Bill. I have (or maybe had!!) a few seedlings sown from SRGC Seed Ex seed in March 2008 it would be nice to see them flower.

[Paul T]

Bill,

Are yours a dark form?  They're much deeper in colour (almost orange?) than any I have seen before?

[Maggi Young]

I was reminded of these pix of yours, Paul, over the years.....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/5451.html
Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 11:33 am:   

http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/26952.html
Posted on Monday, April 03, 2006 - 2:20 pm
 
those two links from the Old Forum and this last from this Forum last March.....

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3135.msg82365#msg82365

[Paul T]

Thanks Maggi.  That confirms that Bill's are either very different, or his colour saturation is out of whack.

[Lesley Cox]

I like it very much Bill. Another plant with similar odd veining is Iris 'Holden Clough' and yet another plant which I was about to type in here, now, and has totally gone from my memory. I'll think of it later no doubt.

[cohan]

Tigridia vanhouttei Another colourful species of the Tigridia genus flowering at the moment.  Clusters of flowers for a long period in summer. Outer petals pale yellow with purple streaks. Inner cupped petals cream with perfect painted purple veins leading to deep purple center.

wow! thats a zowie one! is it a tiny plant or just looks that way in overhead view?

[angie]

Amazing plant, you certainly have some beauties in your collection.
Angie

[Paul T]

Cohan,

The flower is about 3 or 4cm wide from memory.  It won't flower for me for a couple of months yet.  Mine though are definitely yellow and purple, as you can see if you follow the links Maggi supplied.  The whole plant grows to maybe 70cm (again, from memory) and you get flowers over a period on a branching stem.  I think they most I've had out from my plant on a stem on a given day is about 3 or 4.  Definitely a favourite of the Tigridias, but I love them all.

[cohan]

Cohan,

The flower is about 3 or 4cm wide from memory.  It won't flower for me for a couple of months yet.  Mine though are definitely yellow and purple, as you can see if you follow the links Maggi supplied.  The whole plant grows to maybe 70cm (again, from memory) and you get flowers over a period on a branching stem.  I think they most I've had out from my plant on a stem on a given day is about 3 or 4.  Definitely a favourite of the Tigridias, but I love them all.

thanks paul, so not a small plant at all; i think i've seen 'full body' shots of other species, so i have a general idea..

[Paul T]

Cohan,

There are Tigridias that are literally less than 10cm tall, with flowers about 1cm across.  Mine are up, but not yet in flower.  I'll photograph and post here if I catch them in flower.  Unlike many of the others this little species does tend to multiply as well, which means it clumps.  Many of them are very shy to do so for me.  Then if course you've got the big "jockey cap lilies" which have flowers up to perhaps 10cm across.  Altogether a very variable genus, and one which I wish I could find more of.  They, the Cypellas and their ilk etc, are all wonderful plants.  I really must prepare some photos to post of some of the things in flower here at the moment.