South American bulbous plants 2009

[Lesley Cox]

You mean salviating Anthony. No, I remembered, I meant Salvia azurea.

[fermi de Sousa]

I was given some "mixed Leucocoryne (?)hybrids" some years ago and it appears that they are in fact:
Leucocoryne purpurea




And possibly L. ixioides


Another grown from seed as L. vittata appears to be a hybrid!


cheers
fermi

[Gerdk]

Fermi,
Mixed or not - they are outstanding!

Gerd

[Lvandelft]

I was given some "mixed Leucocoryne (?)hybrids" some years ago and it appears that they are in fact:
Leucocoryne purpurea

cheers
fermi

Fermi, I saw the first picture somewhere before(don't remember where?) but it intrigued me, if you leave the Leucocoryne all year in the garden, or do you take them out every year?
Here we have to take them out every year, but they need special treatment, otherwise they don't flower.

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Lovely!  Do you have the true vittata?  If not, I should be able to spare you a bulb.  Mine are in flower at the moment (they flower every year, unlike the majority of the rest of them that I have).  A pic is on my camera, but not on the computer yet.  I also have a purpurea flowering, from the "mixed hybrid" bulbs that were offered by a couple of the mail order companies a few years ago. 

Luit,

If you don't mind me answering that as well...... I get them repotted every few years and they always do better when I do, but I rarely get around to it.  They stay outside in their pots year around, no treatment necessary.  They do like a bit more food than I give them (which I assume is why they like the repot), but some like vittata flower more freely anyway.

[Gerdk]

Fermi, I saw the first picture somewhere before(don't remember where?) but it intrigued me, if you leave the Leucocoryne all year in the garden, or do you take them out every year?
Here we have to take them out every year, but they need special treatment, otherwise they don't flower.

Luit, please let me (us) know what kind of special treatment do the Leucocorynes need? I never saw a flower from my few bulbs.

Gerd

[Roma]

Beautiful Leucocoryne, Fermi.  I have one grown from F&W seed as Leucocoryne ? coquimbensis.  It grew quite well in the greenhouse at work, growing in the winter and flowering in Spring.  Since I retired it has been a bit more erratic with my lower winter temperatures.  It did not flower this year but last year did well and has good shoots on it now.  Ferraria crispa has behaved in a similar way.  It had the foliage frosted the first year I had it at home,  got too drawn with lack of light in the house the following year, but grew and flowered well in the greenhouse the next year.  Last winter was colder so it produced a few leaves then died down.  I was going to repot it yesterday but just scraped off and replaced the soil above the bulbs which are starting to grow.  It seems to increase well below ground even if there is not much growth above.

The following pictures were taken in May 2008

[Lvandelft]

Luit, please let me (us) know what kind of special treatment do the Leucocorynes need? I never saw a flower from my few bulbs.
Gerd

Gerd, I don't know much about the treatment, but as Leucocoryne comes from Chile and grow in areas where it is dry and warm for a long time, I presume that keeping the bulbs at 23 C. until planting in spring (end of March) might be a possibility. (25 C. is another possibility??)
I know of Babiana kept with 25 C did not flower, but 20 - 22 C. was perfect.
Most people think of S. Africa is very hot and dry, but plants under shrubs grow a bit cooler.
At least don't keep them cold! I am no expert on this, but reading Roma's writing about not flowering this year, it might be a reason for not flowering?
I would keep them at least at living room temp.
The bulbs need warmth to induce flowering.
Here is a link about S. American geophytes, where you might learn some more.
http://www.seedconsortium.org/PUC/pdf%20files/32-Flowering%20geophytes%20of%20Chile%20have%20ornamental...pdf

[Rogan]

Leucocorynes are such underrated plants. I flowered a few from seed for the first time this year and was completely blown away by them! As a bonus the flowers are sweet-scented and very long lasting.

However, I do not find them very easy from seed and seedling mortallity is quite high, and it takes quite a number of years to reach flowering size, 4 - 5 years in my experience.

This species, L. vitata, has been displayed in various threads recently, but I have to show it one more time     My plants were much earlier than those of PaulT and Fermi - flowering nearly a month or so ago - can you spot the imposter?

[Ray]

HI Rogan, nice spider bye Ray

[Rogan]

It is Ray, just think, I had my nose in that flower just before I took the picture - I didn't see the spider until I viewed my pictures on the computer some time after!

One more species that flowered fantastically this season - L. coquimbensis (...I think?):

[Gerdk]

Luit,
Thank you for your helpful advice - will try a warmer place in winter!

Leucocorynes are such underrated plants. I flowered a few from seed for the first time this year and was completely blown away by them! As a bonus the flowers are

Rogan - Nothing to add - love these Anden beauties also!

Gerd

[Cris]

Those Leucocoryne are sooooo beatiful
Congratulations for all those flowers

[Roma]

Interesting to note, Rogan, my Leucocoryne ?coquimbensis looks more like your vittata.  As mine came with a question mark does anyone know which is the correct name?

[Hans J]

a bit unusual for this time of the year :

Ipheion recurvifolium ( earlier I.sessile )

the nomenclatur is a bit difficould ....in Kew is it now listet as Tristagma recurvifolium