Hymenocallis 2009

[Alberto]

Hi all, another OT (for rock garden subject). Here is a bunch of strongly scented (in the night) flowers of Hymenocallis Tropical Giant. It is of unknown origin, but now spreaded all around the world. It is a wonderful landscaping plant!
Alberto

Hymenocallis  Tropical Giant

[Paul T]

As always, wonderful pic Alberto.

[Alberto]

Another species flowered for the first time just last night: Hymenocallis rotata. It is an aquatic plant: the pot is submerged in spring. The flowers are fragrant, strongly fragrant, and huge, even if it doesn't look watching the photo. At anthesis it is about 25 cm wide with the staminal cup about 10 cm in diameter! Enjoy.
Alberto
H. rotata

[Paul T]

Wow!  Big flowers.  Another one I've never heard of.  Seems to be a regular occurrence with your postings Alberto.    A very good thing.

[MsJeanD]

I've had three of these bulbs for years: so long I forgot where i got them. But it's only been the last two years they have blomed. Nobody seems to know what they are, and I can't find them in any book or online. Can anyone tell me what they are? It is a very large bulb, with tall sturdy strap-like leaves.

[mark smyth]

Hymenocallis

[David Nicholson]

Seconded.

More information here  http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Hymenocallis

Try a search on the Forum too

[Maggi Young]

Hello, MsJean, welcome to the Forum.
Hymenocallis are bulbs from the Americas...... you can see some on the following pages from the forum:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3749.msg98607;topicseen#msg98607
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3449.msg88956;topicseen#msg88956
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1015.msg23541;topicseen#msg23541

The Pacific Bulb Society is a great site for bulb fans....
see this page for useful info:
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Hymenocallis


Ah, David, you beat me to it!

[Maggi Young]

Ms Jean has read the PBS links and has sent me this note:
"What I read about these hymenocallis bulbs I have , makes it sound like they really like it sorta moist? Where they are now is quite dry really: next to the house where there is a wide overhang on the roof. If I made an effort to water them more, would they be more apt to flower more or multiply? Tho I have no way to water plants except to carry water in bucket from bathroom. I live in Kentucky USA. If these are native to our country, I never saw them growing wild anywhere!?"


Well, I cannot comment on how rare  these plants may be..... so often plants have very restricted and specialised distributions that they are hard to spot even if one knows roughly  where they are!

Can anyone help Jean with her query about whether these bulbs would be better off in a wetter place, or should she just try to give them more water where they are?

[David Nicholson]

Hymenocallis are native to South Eastern USA, the West Indies, Central America to the Andes and tropical South America.  On the assumption that you are growing them in a pot then as long as your potting medium is very well drained (ie gritty and sandy) they will take plenty of water when in growth. On the other hand if your potting medium is not well drained then simply watering more may well cause the bubs to rot. Good drainage is essential. You make like to give them a feed too as this will help to bulk up the bulbs to flower next year something not high in Nitrogen content should do fine. If your bulbs are in the ground then you might give them a feed.

[Heinie]

MsJeanD,
That is a Hymenocallis advance. I have quite a few of them.

[Maggi Young]

Jean tells me:

On another site I got the impression the common name for these is Peruvian Daffodil? (Related to Spider Lilies?) Then I realized, I think I got them years ago, 3 to a package, under that name , when they were quite small and unimpressive. I just stuck 'em in the ground and wondered why they never bloomed, until last year. The flowers are bigger and prettier this year than last. I guess as the years go by the bulbs gradually get bigger and so grow more impressive. But the time I dug into one accidentally, I didn't see it had multiplied any. (?)

Comments?

[Paul T]

I've got to ask... why isn't it Ismene x festalis?  That was my thought when I saw it.  Jean, do the leaves emerge from the top of the bulb and separate, or do they have a sheath wrap around the base of the leaves for a few inches?  That is the only way I know of to tell some of these Ismene from the Hymenocallis.  From the pic above, I wouldn't be sure which is which, as the flowers are so similar aren't they?

For reference, I don't actually grow H. 'Advance' so I haven't got an immediate way of visually knowing what it looks like, but Jean's pic immediately brought the mind the festalis, which is why I am asking.

[Heinie]

Paul,
I still refer to it as Hymenocallis advance due to habit when it was still in that group but it is now known as Ismene now. Here is a photo of mine as well as a example of the sheat leaf base you refer to. Thanks for the reminder.




I also grow the Ismene Sulpur Queen below which is my absolute favorite with a very nice fragrance that fills a room.

[Paul T]

Heinie,

So you're saying that Hymenocallis 'Advance' is a synonym for Ismene x festalis then?

I grow 'Sulphur Queen', but have never flowered it as yet (actually, I must check how it has gone this year).  I hope to flower it one of these years.