October 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Hi Fermi,

Have any of your Themidaceae started to bloom yet? It seems like it should be the start of that season for you.

Here in our part of Northern California the weather has finally cooled to average temperatures for this time of year. It is still extremely dry. This is not unusual for our part of California, however precipitation is only about 15% of average to date. The numbers are a little better in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but still very dry. There are frosty mornings at the highest elevations in the Sierra Nevada.

With such dry weather I was surprised to see the first Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus foliage emerging from the ground. This species can be very early, however this seems extreme. The start of the rainy season will be welcome. We are hoping for a good season this year.

[fermi de Sousa]

Have any of your Themidaceae started to bloom yet? It seems like it should be the start of that season for you.

Hi Robert,
they've only just started - the first being what I think is Brodiaea coronaria

The next is what I've called "Ithuriel's Spear" but apparently that's Triteleia laxa and I think this is Triteleia bridgesii.

Triteleia laxa is still in bud, as is Dichelostemma volubile which I've called "The Climbing Bluebell"

These 3 stems are from one pot which is sitting on a bench under a Cercis siliquastrum into which it's climbing,
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Hi Fermi,

Thank you for sharing the photographs.

I thought that you might find the following photographs interesting.



This is a photograph of Triteleia bridgesii growing in its natural habitat in the Canyon of the South Fork of the American River in El Dorado County, California. This location is not far from our El Dorado County farm. I can easily arrive at this site in 30 minutes from our farm.



This is a photograph of Triteleia bridgesii blooming in our Sacramento garden. As you can see, the color pattern on the one flower is not the same as the other flowers on the same scape. Most seasons all the flowers appear similar on this plant. There are many reasons why this flower could be off-type during this season, however this is not a common feature of this species.



This is a photograph of Triteleia laxa blooming in our Sacramento garden. Triteleia laxa has a large geographic range throughout California and Southern Oregon. It grows abundantly on our farm property. I have accessions of this species growing in our Sacramento garden from many locations in Northern California. Our accessions from the low elevations in the Inner Coast Range Mountains are always the first to bloom in our garden. All of our accessions of Triteleia laxa bloom well before any of our Triteleia bridgesii accessions. The geographic range of Tritelia bridgesii is limited to Northern California and Southern Oregon. Under some circumstances, it might be possible that Triteleia bridgesii could cross with Triteleia laxa, however I have never observed this in the wild or our garden. I have been tempted to make this cross in our Sacramento garden to see if this cross is possible.

Thanks again for sharing the photographs. The Themidaceae thrive in our Sacramento garden. They can be effectively integrated into our garden by mimicking their preferences in their native habitats.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Robert,
it's interesting that themids behave so differently over here - Triteleia laxa forms are still tightly in bud and most themids flower after the daffodils have finished.
Here are a couple more North Americans:
1) Allium unifolium
2 & 3) Calochortus uniflorus
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Hi Fermi,



This is a scene of Allium unifolium taken in our Sacramento garden. It was taken yesterday, 26 October. I leave the seed heads of Allium unifolium until winter before I clean them up, or they get blown away by storms. This is a very naturalistic scene and is very much like what one would find in our local xeric ecosystems here in California. I enjoy this section of the garden immensely. The Allium unifolium seeds around creating ever-changing patterns each season. One of our early blooming forms of Triteleia laxa is planted in this area bringing color during the early spring. The bark of Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita (background) always looks good. This dried up look during the summer and autumn works for me and is so typical of xeric ecosystems in of our part of California.



Here is another scene from our Sacramento garden. I also leave the seed heads of Brodiaea elegans ssp. elegans all summer and autumn. Here they share space with another form of Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita. I also grow other California native species in this part of the garden. The Brodiaea shares space with Primula hendersonii, various native Eriogonium species, and our native Purple needle grass, Stipa pulchra. A number of California native annuals also seed around this location. It looks great during the spring, but I also like the very naturalistic dry-look during the summer and autumn.



Our local native, Salvia sonomensis grows near one of our paths. The scent of the foliage is divine. It shares space with other forms of Triteleia laxa, Scutellaria californica, and even the non-native Acis autumnalis. I enjoy Acis autumnalis and it often combines well with our native species. I grow many seedlings each season and select the best to plant out in the garden.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Robert,
I like the look of that salvia! Hopefully it's on the seedex for SRGC or NARGS!
Here are a few more flowers from October:
1) Pinellia cordata
2) Scutellaria indica
3) Ornithogalum thyrsoides
4) Tritonia crocata peach shades
5) Tritonia deusta
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Hi Fermi,



This is a photograph of Salvia sonomensis growing in its native habitat in El Dorado County, California. This is a low elevation, summer/autumn xeric ecosystem. Summertime high temperatures are extremely high and precipitation during the summer rarely occurs. This species prefers growing in full sun in openings in its native chaparral habitat. In our local chaparral ecosystems, Salvia sonomensis is generally found growing with Chimise, Adenostoma fasciculatum var. fasciculatum and White-leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, however these are very complex ecosystems where a wide range of plant species can be found growing, often in specific ecological niches.



This photograph is of Salvia sonomensis blooming in it native chaparral habitat.



Here is another scene of Salvia sonomensis blooming in its native habitat. Most plants in the wild bloom with light lavender-blue flowers, however plants with deep lavender-blue can be found. On rare occasions, pink flowering forms can be found. The pink forms would be well worth cultivating. In the past I was unsuccessful with the pink form, however I do know where this plant is growing in the wild.

My personal observations and experiences indicate that Salvia sonomensis can inbreed, however the species appears to prefer outbreeding and will do so readily. I have only a single specimen growing in our Sacramento garden. It produces seed reluctantly. Most of the seed is not viable. The few viable seeds that are produced develop into weak, poorly performing plants that frequently die after a few years.

Gathering wild seed has other challenges. For example timing. One needs to be at the right place at the right time to gather seed. I suspect that the seeds are quite edible and enjoyed by the wildlife.

If you have an opportunity to obtain seed from a seed exchange I would give it a try. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that the seed will be of high quality. Based on my observations, seed obtained from a single, isolated plant that has selfed will be of poor quality and bring disappointing results. During the late winter, stem cuttings root very quickly and easily. It is important to get seedlings or rooted cuttings established in the ground quickly in the site where you wish to grow them. Growing plants in containers is extremely difficult and requires special conditions and a great deal of attention. This species dies easily with too much summertime irrigation. I never water the plant in our Sacramento garden or the plants growing up at our Placerville farm. I never water newly planted seedlings or cuttings except at the time of planting. The plants always develop well without additional watering.

I cannot say enough praises for this species. For those that garden in difficult summertime hot, dry climates with limited water for irrigation it performs extremely well. The foliage has a strong but very pleasant fragrance. Good forms bloom profusely. This species combines well with other xeric bulbs, annuals, perennials, and shrubs.

Anyway, may you have good fortune with this species. I am always interested in learning how our interior California plant species perform in other areas. If you care to share your results, this would be invaluable to my research.

[fermi de Sousa]

Here are a last few from October:
1) Babiana spathacea
2 & 3) Dichelostemma volubile is now in flower
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Hi Fermi,

You seem to have a fine collection of Themidaceae. Are they used much in home landscaping in your area? It seems that they would be well adapted to your local climatic conditions.

Here in our part of Northern California the autumn rains have finally arrived. There is finally some measurable snow at the highest elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

With cooler temperatures and the autumn rains, the next wave of Narcissus are beginning to emerge from the ground, mostly Narcissus romieuxii types and hybrids, however there are others. As soon as possible I will be sowing my next batch of hybrid seed.

Are any of your Calochortus blooming? Here they do not emerge from the ground until later in the season. Some of my next generation of hybrids will hopefully bloom this season. I am pleased that I have a pipeline of new hybrids coming on, however most of them are still several years out until there will be blooming plants.



Pictured is Dichelostemma volubile blooming at our El Dorado County farm. This species is native to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the foothills of the Northern Inner Coast Range.



Pictured is Dichelostemma volubile blooming in Colusa County, California, on the lower slopes of Snow Mountain. Here they grow in the chaparral plant community and the flowering stems vine through the chaparral shrubbery. This species is found growing on serpentine and gabbro based soils, mostly because this is where chaparral plant communities thrive. The species grows well on other soils types, however they prefer growing where their flowering stems can grow through native shrubs.



Pictured is Dichelostemma volubile in bud in our Sacramento garden. I have them planted where their flowering stems can vine through the adjacent shrubbery. This does not always happen, with interesting results. The flowering stems can travel some distance at times. Sometimes they end up climbing the stems of other flowering bulbs, or perennial plant species.

Thank you for sharing your photographs and information.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Fermi,

You seem to have a fine collection of Themidaceae. Are they used much in home landscaping in your area? It seems that they would be well adapted to your local climatic conditions.

Hi Robert,
Themids are not widely grown in Australia.
Some growers have spread a few around and some of the more flamboyant ones such as Dichelostemma ida-maia, grab the attention but they don't persist.
One of the Landscape designers in Melbourne contacted me about a project she is involved in with Melbourne University. They want to trial a number some geophytes along with perennials and shrubs for planting up an area which will effectively be a "roof garden". Brodiaea elegans was a themid that she wanted (and was supplied by a friend of mine) - I also suggested Triteleia ixioides and some of the selections of Triteleia laxa.
Triteleia laxa has been grown in Australia for generations - I think at least 60 years. The form advertised was 'Queen Fabiola' which was described as deep bluish-purple. However what has been sold is a light blue-mauve form which is probably closer to the original species. A number of years ago one nurseryman imported some of the Dutch selections of Triteleia laxa grown for the cutflower trade. I got a few of them and have posted pics of them in previous years, especially 'Allure' and 'Silver Queen' which have multiplied well.
cheers
fermi