Narcissus bulbocodium

[Tristan_He]

Does anyone have any advice on getting these to flower? I think they are very pretty little things, but thus far my efforts have yielded only the odd flower in the first year, followed by grassy leaves. I'm only interested in growing things in the garden as I don't have an alpine house.

Various sellers advertise certain varieties as being 'good flowerers' suggesting this is not a problem for me alone!

Tristan

[Maggi Young]

I believe that there are non-flowering clones of N. bulbocodium - in the same way as there are such types in Erythronium americanum, for instance. These are forms which proliferate very readily by vegetative increase - making them a good bet for sellers interested in mass marketing as much as poss!  But there are excellent forms which you can  buy or raise from seed and which will reseed themselves in your garden.

If you already have  plants reluctant to flower, you can always try to galvanise them into action by applying regular feed of Sulphate of Potash powder when they are in growth. That may work .....

[Tristan_He]

Thanks Maggi. It's a common problem that these poor forms are propagated. Any preference as to growing conditions? Wet / dry, acid / alkaline, sun / shade, dry in summer etc?

They are such a contrast to N. cyclamineus which does very well for me - I get a few new ones every year.

[Maggi Young]

We have them growing happily in various spots in the garden - in gravelled areas they are happiest.  I think that gives them a bit of extra heat in the summer. Our soil is a light sandy loam which is only  just acidic.