South African Bulbs 2014

[Steve Garvie]

Spiloxene canaliculata

[ArnoldT]

Gladiolus longicollis

A search says it is a warm season flower producer. Goldblatt says in his Gladiolus of South Africa that it blooms in October to mid-February.

Haven't detected the strong, sweet  clove rich smell attributed to it.

[Michael J Campbell]

Moraea villosa, the first to flower this year.

[Steve Garvie]

Moraea villosa, the first to flower this year.

A bonny bulb (or is it a cracking corm?) Michael!
I have a couple that I got from a South African nursery but they're still on Southern Hemisphere time.

Clocks change this weekend ......I hope they get the message! 

[Mark Griffiths]

lovely Morea!

[angie]

Really nice Michael 

Angie 

[ArnoldT]

Lachenalia mathewsii

Named after Joseph William Mathews (1871-1949) First curator Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

[ArnoldT]

Gladiolus longicollis.

This one popped up in a pot of Narcissus.  Much more vigorous plant and does have the spicy clove scent in the evening.

[Robert]

Arnold,

Thanks for the note on the Gladioli - spicy clove scent in the evening seems divine. I have a hunch that many of the South African bulb will do well in our part of California with little or no protection from our winter cold, if one wants to call our winters cold. This is a project that I have just started to pursue, but I can learn a few things on the way. Thanks for all your photographs and comments.

[ArnoldT]

Robert:

This pot full was sitting in a spot in the greenhouse  that gets more sun.  Flowers with more substance and leaves stronger  The other plant was flopping.

[Robert]

Robert:

This pot full was sitting in a spot in the greenhouse  that gets more sun.  Flowers with more substance and leaves stronger  The other plant was flopping.

Arnold,

If I understand correctly the flopping plant was in too much shade?

Given East Coast weather, they are all greenhouse grown, I'm sure. Under greenhouse conditions do you get seed set on your Gladioli? Out here, I get along without a greenhouse and of coarse there are plenty of outdoor pollinators. I will not see flowers on any species Gladiolus for several months.

[K-D Keller]

In flower now

Moraea setifolia, Lachenalia orchioides and Veltheimia capensis

[ArnoldT]

Robert:

I think that's what happened.  The better flowering plant was in the area that gets sun first thing in the morning.

[Robert]

Arnold,

Thanks! 

[Roma]

Lachenalia pustulata blue form