Sternbergia 2010

[pehe]

Hans,
when I visited Corfu last year summer a tourist guide told me from the wunderful yellow autuum crocus on Mt. Pantokrator

I didn't know that Crocus scharojanii was growing there

Poul

[pehe]

Different Sternbergia lutea forms:

1. Sternbergia lutea 'Villa Carlotta' has just started flowering outside. Almost too many leaves! (12 mm wide)
2. Sternbergia lutea ex Greece has 20 mm wide leaves.
3. Sternbergia lutea ex Greece and St. lutea ex Iran almost without leaves.
And some other:
4. Sternbergia sicula graeca has 4 mm leaves
5. Sternbergia greuteriana with 5 mm leaves performs well outside.

Poul

[Armin]

Hans,
when I visited Corfu last year summer a tourist guide told me from the wunderful yellow autuum crocus on Mt. Pantokrator

I didn't know that Crocus scharojanii was growing there
Poul

Pssst!!! Poul, don't tell anybody

[Tony Willis]

last Sternbergia lutea for the season  just in flower

[Armin]

Tony,
an excellent photo of an lovely species.

[Hans A.]

Beautyful picture Tony!
Last Sternbergias for this year bloomed the last days.

[Maggi Young]

I'm trying very hard not to be jealous of these clumps flowering happily in the sun...... not succeeding very well, though.....
Lovely display, Hans. 

[TheOnionMan]

Hans, I second that opinion, beautiful Sternbergia clumps, and beautifully photographed.  My sole species (lutea) did not bloom this year.

[Otto Fauser]

Hans , wonderful clumps of Sternbergias in your garden:the greenish-yellow sicula is unusual and lovely.
  Do you flower S. clusiana every year without fail? Here it only does so after an extremely hot and dry summer rest .

[Maren]

Hans, what beautiful clumps of Sternbergia in your garden. Mine just made leaves this year. Must be the soil What's your soil like?

[Gerry Webster]

Superb Hans. I must move to the Balearics!

[pehe]

Hans, what a beautiful finish of the Sternbergia autumn season! This is a real highlight in these dark and rainy Nowember days. Thanks for sharing with us.

Poul

[Hans A.]

Thanks to all!

@Maggi, same happens to me when I see your marvellous Erythronium you can grow outside - I would need Orons fridge to grow them
@ Otto, I received it two years ago ( labeled as S. fischeriana) and flowered first time for me - will observe it the next seasons.
@ Maren, naturally I have a heavy clay/ lime soil but mixed up with some tons of gravel
@ Gerry, you are welcome - I am sure there are worse places to live 

There is not only sunshine - 'Dodona Gold' failed to flower this year - again.

[Miriam]

Here are some pictures from my trip today to the Negev desert.
Sternbergia clusiana is a beautiful species and it is protected here.
Sternbergia clusiana is found in the eastern parts of Israel and the West Bank ,growing particularly in semi-arid conditions. It appears without leaves, which grow later in the season after the rains. The flowers are about 6-10 cm long.

Here some photos from the Sternbergia reserve near Yerucham.It is particulary spectacular to see the big yellow flowers coming out of the desert sand!

[Miriam]

In the Negev desert, it can be found mostly in dry creeks and valleys, between rocks where moisture is kept for a longer time, growing particulary on north facing slopes. In the north of Israel (where there is more rain), it is the opposite, it prefers south facing slopes and does not like heavy damp soils.

This one shows clearly the scent glands at the tips of the petals. See the different pollen colors: