Muscari ... and some relatives 2009

[Lori S.]

Thanks for the ID confirmation!  We don't actually have reliable snow cover normally (this winter was the first in 12 years where we saw almost constant snow cover due to much higher than usual snow falls) so they are just very tough!

Lori, mine have done that too in the past.

Simon, were you referring to developing more than 1 leaf on what seems to be the same plant?

[Sinchets]

Sorry Lori- yes that's what i meant. The same patch has had plants with more than the usual 1 'wrap around' leaf, but they are usually smaller and thinner.
Flowering today a plant I bought from a garden centre as Muscari argaei album- it never flowered in the UK- so I was happy when it finally showed buds here. Now I know it can't be the name on the label. Any ideas?

[Lori S.]

Thanks very much for the confirmation, Simon!  It's hard to know if some statements referring to plant IDs (such as the one in Rix and Phillips about a single leaf) should be taken as an absolute truth, or just as a useful clue... it's evidently the latter in this case.

[Sinchets]

Well that being said maybe we both have Muscari latifolium from the same source and it isn't true 
Actually I think most guidebooks do tend to develop flaws when you take them out into nature.

[Armin]

Simon,
your mislabled plant resembles Muscari comosum.

[Sinchets]

Thanks Armin.

[Lesley Cox]

And very nice it is too. Others I've seen of comosum are looser and much less classy. Even the foliage is attractive and relatively restrained for a Muscari.

This morning my friend Susan phoned and we only talked for a minute or two, well, about an hour and 3/4 I think and during that time I learned that the Warehouse - our cheap and quite cheerful chain where you can buy heaps and heaps of rubbish but the occasional good thing as well, had, in their garden centre part, pots with no labels but the notice beside them just said "Assorted Muscari." Susan was sure they were M. macrocarpum and bought a pot with 4 or 5 bulb in flower. So I downed the vacuum cleaner, as you do, and took a trip to town and found about 50 such pots, all in full flower. I was very greedy and bought 3, with a total of 13 flower stems and some more to come. They had no scent in the store but the day is jolly cold. By the time I got them home, the car smelled like a funeral parlour or florist shop and for now, I've left them outside but will bring one in when the rain stops and I can tidy them a little. I suspect that they are imported and have had no chilling for a period, or other acclimatization or they wouldn't be in bloom in the southern hemisphere in early winter. We'll have to turn their seasons around when they die down. Susan and I understand this but I doubt if the majority of local shoppers will realize it or how to go about it. I'll take a picture when the rain stops. They were $7.99 for 5 bulbs, about 60p per bulb.

I also bought what the checkout thought was nothing but I had felt about and knew the plant was in there, of the hybrid between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis, called x Rhodoxis. Picture shows a white one, to go with my little plant of 'Hebron Pink.' It was $1.99 marked down from $4.99 because it had died down and many would assume there was nothing in the pot.

[Sinchets]

Two great buys then Lesley, I hope you were smiling like a Cheshire Cat all day. Would that we could be so lucky buying things like that at our local version of the store!

[Susan]

I brought mine inside and they scented the kitchen.   In fact, this morning I went and bought another pot and the "Rhodoxis" which I purchased for $1.49!

Asked the guy who looks after  the plant area and he said they were from a North Island supplier who forced them into flower for their winter market.  Might pay to keep an eye out for more interesting things. 

Have passed the word around a couple of other enthusiasts here, as it would be good to see them go to good homes.

Susan.

[Lesley Cox]

I took a couple of pics tonight in the kitchen but the flash isn't working and they are almost black. I'll try outside tomorrow. The rain has stopped and there was a gleam of sunshine today. I've taken off 5 spent stems and there are still 21, including some barely started yet. Maybe there will be even more to come. Not bad, at least 26 stems on 12 bulbs.

[Lvandelft]

Lesley, as they were forced into flower I presume they came from Holland.
In that case it is probably Muscari Golden Fragrance. This is grown here in quite big quantities.
I showed a picture of it in the Keukenhof Thread where they were planted in long beds.

[t00lie]

I brought mine inside and they scented the kitchen.   In fact, this morning I went and bought another pot and the "Rhodoxis" which I purchased for $1.49!

Asked the guy who looks after  the plant area and he said they were from a North Island supplier who forced them into flower for their winter market.  Might pay to keep an eye out for more interesting things. 

Have passed the word around a couple of other enthusiasts here, as it would be good to see them go to good homes.

Susan.

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Checked the Warehouse down here --unfortunately only available in Timaru and Dunedin  and they ,(Dunedin),refuse to send any by courier " as they are just coming into flower and will be damaged in transit"--which is a load of rubbish as i've had many other plants sent over the years from even further afield with no problems.

As an interest Lesley how will you go about turning them around to acclimatize ?.
Ta .

Cheers Dave

[ashley]

I took a couple of pics tonight in the kitchen but the flash isn't working and they are almost black. I'll try outside tomorrow. The rain has stopped and there was a gleam of sunshine today. I've taken off 5 spent stems and there are still 21, including some barely started yet. Maybe there will be even more to come. Not bad, at least 26 stems on 12 bulbs.

And is the foliage okay Lesley? 
I bought M. macrocarpum 'Golden Fragrance' several times from different suppliers over the last few years but unfortunately each and every bulb was virus-infected   Eventually I resorted to seed but will have the wait a while for the wonderful flowers and scent

[Susan]

Dave, I am happy to purchase some for you.  Will take a photo of mine so you can see what you will be getting first.

Have had a look at the ones I have and see no sign of virus. 

Susan.

[Lesley Cox]

The foliage seems OK, no streaking or splotches. A few leaves are a little browned at the tips but that looks more like the usual muscari tip that I see among most Muscari I grow. They are perhaps more lemony coloured than golden and the scent is HUGE. That usual cloying sweetness, with an undercurrent of the common grape hyacinth.

Dave, yould you like me to get some for you? They had a lot so should be available tomorrow when I go into town for a meeting.

As for acclimatizing, or retrieving from forcing, I'll probably just plant them out and let them do whatever they want. They may not be too good next year but should recover for the following spring.