October 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Lovely, Bill! 

Here's a couple of things in flower here at the moment.  I'll add a few more in the next couple of days, then work back through the last few weeks and add those to the September topic. 

Sparaxis meterlekampiae is a rather different member of the genus.  This was one of those things that was originally off in another family and then got moved to Sparaxis.
Notholirion thompsonianum isn't actually mine (I should be honest!  ) but is rather in a friend's garden.  I've never seen it in flower before as it has never done so for me.  Very nice.  Bigger flowers than I expected.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Ragged Robin]

Sanguinaria canadensis "Flore Pleno" aka bloodroot

Bill, your photo shows a really pretty little plant but how hardy is it and does it like damp woodland?  Also why is it called bloodroot?

[Brian Ellis]

The blood root has reddish roots which exude red liquid when broken

[Tecophilaea King]

zome

Bill, your photo shows a really pretty little plant but how hardy is it and does it like damp woodland?  Also why is it called bloodroot?

Hi Robin, according to the gardeners encyclopedia the plant is fully hardy, grows in sun or semi-shade and in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Should be ok for your woodlands provided you give it the right growing conditions. Hope this was helpful.
And as Brian mentioned before, when rhizome is cut will bleed red liquid.

[Tecophilaea King]

The flowers of these unusual bulbs from South Africa in many ways resemble starfish.
Their crisp-edged stars occur in a range of unusual dusky shades of brown, yellow, violet and blue, and the scent can be reminiscent of carrion or sweet almond, depending on the species.
They are easy bulbs to grow, although all except F.crispa can be difficult too obtain.
They enjoy loamy soil in sun or semi-shade.
Ferraria crispa is the one producing the unpleasant odour, as is evident by the blow-flies on the flowers (covered in orange pollen) and the irrisistable smell of the flowers.
Ferraria crispa.
Ferraria densepunctulata.
Ferraria  foliosa.

[Lori S.]

What astounding flowers!

[Lesley Cox]

Those are amazing flowers Bill. I never imagined such things in either Moraea or Ferraria. I must next year visit my Tauranga sister in the springtime.

Funny that nowadays the double form of bloodroot is so much easier to obtain (here in NZ anyway) than the single which to my mind is more beautiful though it drops its petals in a very few days, compared with the longer lasting double form.

[arillady]

Bill your photos are superb. I have the common Ferraria flowering too now.

Urginea maritima not flowering but just as good and surrounded by Gladiolus tristus(?)
And from the top - standing on a chair next to it and aiming the camera in the general direction - lots of attempts!
Does anyone know the Gladiolus? I received it as charming watsonia.

[cohan]

robin--its not called Sanguinaria (from sanguis-- blood) 'canadensis' for nothing -native to eastern north america, should be hardy for you; roots have been used to produce red dye..

bill--the ferraria are striking! thanks for continuing to introduce us to cool plants

arillady--(sorry forget your name?)-that is a nice vignette with the urginea and gladiolus..

[Paul T]

Pat,

There is a Glad 'Charming Lady' and 'Charming Beauty' I think.  Maybe that was what they mixed up in the name?

[Tecophilaea King]

Cyrtanthus falcatus is a beautiful trouble-free plant from KwaZulu-Natal which just finished flowering. The "shepherd's crook" inflorescence emerges without warning in late spring and early summer. It is red or pinkish flushed green with a hint of yellow exterior of the tube and is soon followed by the broad bright green foliage. This is a remarkably tough species and the bulbs can withstand some moisture provided the soil medium is sharply drained during the dormant period
Does any forumist grow this not so well known species? How does it perform for you?

[Paul T]

I do, Bill.  I've never managed to flower it though.  What conditions do you grow it in that stimulate it to flowering?  I had been told that the winter drought starts it flowering, but you now say that yours flower with water in winter as well?  Is it really supposed to be dormant until late spring/early summer?  Mine came out of dormancy a few weeks ago, just leaves much to my chagrin.  Do you fertilise?  Details!  Details!!  I am jealous as anything.  

[Tecophilaea King]

I do, Bill.  I've never managed to flower it though.  What conditions do you grow it in that stimulate it to flowering?  I had been told that the winter drought starts it flowering, but you now say that yours flower with water in winter as well?  Is it really supposed to be dormant until late spring/early summer?  Mine came out of dormancy a few weeks ago, just leaves much to my chagrin.  Do you fertilise?  Details!  Details!!  I am jealous as anything.  

It requires a "sharply drained" growing medium such as equal parts of coarse river sand and pumice with a little compost and perhaps some slow release fertiliser added. The bulbs are planted with the entire neck and about one third of the bulb exposed. It does best in a lightly shaded position or one receiving morning sun and afternoon shade. A thorough watering recommended every fortnight from mid-spring to the end of the summer growing period, until the leaves begin to turn yellow and die back in autumn. During late autumn and throughout the winter months, the potting mix should preferably be kept on the dry site, but the posting should read that the bulbs can withstand some moisture provided the soil medium is sharply drained. The bulbs are gregarious and should be allowed to form thick clumps, which does promote flowering and left undisturbed for at least five years, until clumps become too thick and flowering performance diminishes. I have altered the wording in the previous posting, hope this was helpful

[Paul T]

Bill,

Bummer.  I have treated them exactly as you have outlined, right down to the drainage and morning sun.  I grew mine from seed a number of years ago and they are now large bulbs, but I have never had any signs of any offsets from them.... ever.  Now the C. montanus on the other hand offsets like a weed, but also never flowers for me.    Do you grow and flower it as well?

Thansk so much for all the info.  Given your outline of how to grow it, I'm stumped on what I am doing wrong.  Perhaps I just need to fertilise more, although I have tended to be pretty rare with it as so many of the South African stuff is like the aussie stuff and doesn't like much fertiliser.  Hmmmmm.....  

[johnw]

Cyrtanthus falcatus

Bill - How on earth do you manage to grow so many beauties, all to such perfection?  Enjoying your postings immensely.

I only grow Cyrtanthus brachyschyphus, not the showiest but it certainly is easy and gives a good long show.

Can you recommend a source of this Cyrtanthus along with C. macowanii and obliquus? The usual SA seed suppliers never seem to have these, ditto Lachenalia viridiflora.

A question, last spring I planted seed of Blandfordiae punicea and they are not up yet; maybe the lack of a cold period caused this.   I wonder how big the seeds were, I dig around and can't find them. Seems to me they were tiny?  Can you confirm?

johnw