Winter Narcissus

[Gerry Webster]

The first N hedraeanthus opened today - with my thumb for scale!

This little one increases well but has tiny flowers, with a small corona, and only flowers after a hot summer. I had another, much nicer, form which has since died out but I did manage to cross the two first and the seedlings look big enough to perhaps flower next year.

Darren - very nice. Silly question I know, but how hot is "hot". I've had N. hedraeanthus for 4 years & never seen a flower. N. hedraeanthus subsp luteolentus seems much more willing to flower under my conditions.

[Darren]

Gerry,

 Last summer our greenhouse exceeded 40C on many days. Though the plants are plunged I expect the soil temperature reached the high 20s. These are the first flowers here for around 5 years but every bulb seems to have a bud coming.

Amazingly, none of my bulbs under glass have actually objected to the high temperatures and many are flowering better (predictable in the case of the South African species). Some South Americans (Trichopetalum plumosum and some Leucocoryne) have decided to grow this year after taking 2 years off, presumably related to two cold summers.


That said, the 'alpine' bulbs are now grown outside in a frame (Crocus cvijicii is in flower!) so don't experience the high temps.

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks Darren -

That's hot! I must work out a method to achieve these temperatures  here. I wonder whether covering the pots  with black polythene would work?

[annew]

That is a really delightful hedraeanthus, Darren.

[Rafa]

Gerd, Congratulations for this narcissus. Just for your notes, this name is no longer valid, everybody even F. Casas has retired it, maybe you can maintain this name only for geographical procedence, but It is currently considered N. confusus.

Note: Narcissus perez-chiscanoi ---> N. confusus

[Gerry Webster]

 Last summer our greenhouse exceeded 40C on many days. Though the plants are plunged I expect the soil temperature reached the high 20s. These are the first flowers here for around 5 years but every bulb seems to have a bud coming........

According to Blanchard, N. hedraeanthus is found in the  Sierras de Cazorla (among other places). Google tells me that Summer temperatures there are 25 - 29C.

[Darren]

Thanks Darren -

That's hot! I must work out a method to achieve these temperatures  here. I wonder whether covering the pots  with black polythene would work?

It's always a balancing act though isn't it? There are a few frits not showing yet so I can't be certain 'everything' liked it. Those that are up look OK though.

My Ferraria often spend their summer against the south facing glass in black plastic pots and get a proper baking but I'd be careful what else I tried it with. Another possibility is pop them into a heated propagator at 25C for the whole of august? A bit more controllable!


The heat did badly scorch a few cacti and succulents!

[Darren]

According to Blanchard, N. hedraeanthus is found in the  Sierras de Cazorla (among other places). Google tells me that Summer temperatures there are 25 - 29C.

Possibly more reliably warm, and for longer, than the average UK summer. Until last year we had not exceeded 25C, even under glass, for more than a few days each summer, for several years.

[annew]

At last I have some daffs to contribute - mostly hoop-petticoats, seedlings of selected crosses.

[annew]

Some which are not my own seedlings:

[annew]

More:

[annew]

There's always one, isn't there? 

[ashley]

Those are stunning Anne   Such beauties, so well grown & photographed.   

Could that lanky one in your last picture possibly be N. lagoi? 
Here it's substantially taller (15-20 cm) & several weeks earlier than other asturiensis forms I have, and already first flowers are open outdoors. 

[Gerry Webster]

Those are stunning Anne   Such beauties, so well grown & photographed.   

Could that lanky one in your last picture possibly be N. lagoi? 
Here it's substantially taller (15-20 cm) & several weeks earlier than other asturiensis forms I have, and already first flowers are open outdoors.

Anne - A beautiful selection.

Ashley - N. lagoi (yours) has just opened here; only about 12 cm tall. No sign of other N. asturiensis  forms.

[Rafa]

N. lagoi is an ancient name no longer valid. It is just a Narcissus asturiensis, maybe a bigger tetraploid lineage also called var. villarbildensis.