Sternbergia 2009

[BULBISSIME]

I love your S. sicula hans, in 'natural' situation !!
Anthony, I think that S. colchiciflora, as many other geophyts needs hot and DRY rest period to flower.

[Hristo]

Cheers Gerry and Hans,
I second Fred and Lucs appreciation of the Sternbergia from between the rocks!

[Anthony Darby]

I love your S. sicula hans, in 'natural' situation !!
Anthony, I think that S. colchiciflora, as many other geophyts needs hot and DRY rest period to flower.

They get bone dry in the greenhouse, and as I had a chameleon wandering around inside, I had the door closed this year. The windows are screened and open automatically. In previous years flowers seem to have stayed below ground as I find mature seed pods later on.

[Hans A.]

Thanks to all!

Anthony, had this year the same problem - no visible flower last year but a seedpod this spring - think flowering below soil is depending the enviromental conditions, but do not know how take influence in this - will see it later this year or maybe again next spring.

[Rodger Whitlock]

. . . flowering below soil is depending the enviromental conditions . . .

There are cold adapted bulbs that, if given insufficient winter chilling, do not elongate their scapes properly. Erythronium grandiflorum is one. I have a few bulbs of this originally collected as seedlings on just outside Duncan, BC, where it grows on cold north-facing slopes at a relatively low altitude. In my garden, they are planted in a shaded bed to the north of my house where they get minimal sun and none at all in winter. Unfortunately, our winters are usually not cold enough so they usually don't floweer at all or in a very unsatisfactory way - unlike those shown in this photograph taken in Colorado.

Soil temperature would seem to be the key, then, but I can't say if your little sternbergias are too warm or too cool.

[pehe]

Taking the chance to post Sternbergia sicula before it isn't anymore!
It has been a great autumn here for Sternbergia flowering, it has
been three to four weeks since our last rains so the flowers have stayed
in very good condition, how fares the flowering of Sternbergia elsewhere?

Hristo, here is a status of my Sternbergia in the garden.

1. St. lutea 'Villa Carlotta' at wall
2. St. lutea 'Villa Carlotta' in open garden
3. St. sicula 'Dodona Gold' at wall
4. Another group of sicula 'Dodona Gold' 5 cm away flowers 2 weeks later.
5. St. greuteriana

Poul

[Tony Willis]

three sternbergia's out at the moment. The last is one from Melvyn

Sternbergia lutea
Sternbergia sicula (two)

[Ragged Robin]

Poul and Tony, lovely to see your Sternbergia in the garden and in a pot - glorious sunny yellow to bring a glow to the garden at this time of year, thanks 

[Gerry Webster]

Very nice Tony. The one from Melvyn might pass for a large form of S. greuteriana. It just serves to persuade me further that they should all be sunk into S. lutea.

[Hristo]

Hi Poul,
Looks like you have some super floriferous clumps there, are the clones near the wall ( south facing wall? ) flowering better than those elsewhere?
Tony, super specimens, are you going to give the last one back to Melvyn??
5 weeks for sicula seems great, in the UK flowering seemed to be a one shot affair, here we have had rain since my last post and this has bought on another set of flowers!

[hadacekf]

Sternbergia sicula flowers over five weeks long

[Tony Willis]

Very nice Tony. The one from Melvyn might pass for a large form of S. greuteriana. It just serves to persuade me further that they should all be sunk into S. lutea.

Gerry I could not agree more,particularly when its petals reflexed right back.

[Gerry Webster]

5 weeks for sicula seems great, in the UK flowering seemed to be a one shot affair, here we have had rain since my last post and this has bought on another set of flowers!

Chris - it seems to vary according to form (or 'species', if you prefer). Here S. greuteriana has been producing a succession of flowers over nearly 4 weeks. S. lutea angustifolia from Crete produced a second set of flowers - it usually does despite its virus infection. Last year S.sicula 'Arcadian Sun' also produced a second set of flowers - it didn't flower at all this year 

[Anthony Darby]

Very nice Tony. The one from Melvyn might pass for a large form of S. greuteriana. It just serves to persuade me further that they should all be sunk into S. lutea.

Gerry I could not agree more,particularly when its petals reflexed right back.

It's the rounded petal tips which draw me towards thinking greuteriana.

[Tony Willis]

this is Sternbergia greuteriana from Melvyn for comparison flowering last month