Erythronium 2010

[TheOnionMan]

This is another thread that is a feast for the eyes.  I only have E. americanum, lovely mottled foliage, but NEVER ANY FLOWERS.  I haven't tried the "plant the rhizomes over a rock to induce flowering trick".

[cohan]

The Lake Garda E. dens-canis is very nice. Wish I could make it back to north Italy in the spring.

 Here is E. americanum in flower in another area in the Cumberland Mountains. Not sure what is making the heavy flowering this year, but all the populations I have seen are flowering really well. Last summer was very moist and cool with only a few days above 90F.

 Aaron

great to see all these things flowering in the wild (various threads), aaron, thanks for sharing them!
if you manage to collect seed from any of these spring woodlanders, i'd be interested 

[johnw]

This is another thread that is a feast for the eyes.  I only have E. americanum, lovely mottled foliage, but NEVER ANY FLOWERS.  I haven't tried the "plant the rhizomes over a rock to induce flowering trick".

Much the same experience here Mark.  I have a friend who has them planted on a damp east facing 45 degree slope of rich soil. At the top of this slope is his septic field; the "field" is very small so I suspect most leaches down the slope.   The E. americanum flower and spead like mad every year.  Surely there is a lesson there somewhere.  I'm sure he has the best (and maybe only) soil in the whole of the peninsular city!

At the base of the slope is a small stream which meanders through heavy soil & then empties into Hfx. harbour.  His Veratrums and Lysichitons are head height and a nearby Heracleum mantegazzianum is 15-17ft high.

Rhododendron dauricum is in flower here, R. mucronulatum showing colour - 3 weeks ahead.

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

Much the same experience here Mark.  I have a friend who has them planted on a damp east facing 45 degree slope of rich soil. At the top of this slope is his septic field; the "field" is very small so I suspect most leaches down the slope.   The E. americanum flower and spead like mad every year.  Surely there is a lesson there somewhere.

johnw

Hmmm, mine are also planted on a steep east facing slope, perhaps 30 degrees.  It is planted in native soil, which is rocky heavy clay-like, but with humus added.  And the planting is also downhill from the septic field above... curiously similar to the description of your friend's garden!  The Erythronium is spreading like crazy, but never 1 flower in the 10 years I've grown it.  Maybe my soil is not rich and duffy enough?

By the way, my estimate is that we too are 2-3 weeks ahead of normal.

[johnw]

Mark  - "Hmm" sums it up, what a coincidence.  I guess I'd better not suggest you increase the slope to 45 or sharper.  Thinking back his slope was more like 60.

Unless someone else chimes in we have an enigma.

I've heard the rock underneath doesn't work either.

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

Mark  - "Hmm" sums it up, what a coincidence.  I guess I'd better not suggest you increase the slope to 45 or sharper.  Thinking back his slope was more like 60.
Unless someone else chimes in we have an enigma.
I've heard the rock underneath doesn't work either.

johnw

I think I'll move some to various spots in the yard, to see if some sort of conditions bring on flower... including finding that 45 degree slope (which I actually do have available here)   Currently its growing at the base of a Magnolia tree, popping up among my trilliums, but I don't think they're any threat of swamping other plants.  I did notice today that some are spreading into the lawn    Here are two photos just snapped, they share their benign invasive spreading with a tiny Viola species.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Mark  - "Hmm" sums it up, what a coincidence.  I guess I'd better not suggest you increase the slope to 45 or sharper.  Thinking back his slope was more like 60.
Unless someone else chimes in we have an enigma.
I've heard the rock underneath doesn't work either.

johnw

I think I'll move some to various spots in the yard, to see if some sort of conditions bring on flower... including finding that 45 degree slope (which I actually do have available here)   Currently its growing at the base of a Magnolia tree, popping up among my trilliums, but I don't think they're any threat of swamping other plants.  I did notice today that some are spreading into the lawn    Here are two photos just snapped, they share their benign invasive spreading with a tiny Viola species.

I saw them flowering prolifically at Gothenburg Botanic gardens a couple of years ago and asked for the secret...

I got only one answer : manure - manure and more manure - dug in prior to planting !  Good luck Mc Mark ! 

[TheOnionMan]

I saw them flowering prolifically at Gothenburg Botanic gardens a couple of years ago and asked for the secret...
I got only one answer : manure - manure and more manure - dug in prior to planting !  Good luck Mc Mark ! 

Well, my neighbor keeps horses so I have access to free manure.  Thanks for the tip Luc. 
Think I'll pile the manure high with a 45 degree slope

Just posted a photo in the Houstonia thread, where I photographed to show the degree of slope.  My trying to naturalize Bluets is in the same bed as lots of Trillium and the subject Erythronium.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4790.msg147345#msg147345

[Diane Whitehead]

These were photographed beside Cowichan Lake and along the
Cowichan River on southern Vancouver Island yesterday.

I will post two messages.  The first will be of Erythronium revolutum
and a couple of its associated plants:  Dicentra formosa, and Lysichiton
americanus. You can see revolutum growing all through the background
of the skunk cabbage picture.

You will note the wet conditions that revolutum favours.

[Diane Whitehead]

Erythronium revolutum also grows in drier conditions, and here
it is next to Trillium ovatum.

Erythronium oregonum grows in drier areas, as on this hillside,
but also was growing along the riverbank.

The two form hybrids (next post)

[Diane Whitehead]

Here are possible hybrids of Erythronium revolutum and
Erythronium oregonum in Cowichan.

[cohan]

thanks for showing these in nature, diane, great to see..

[Janis Ruksans]

Erythronium grandiflorum - first time blooming with me.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Visiting my Erythroniums I suddenly noted interesting feature. It was early morning and flowers still was nodding down and I was surprised noting how different are petals back in E. sibiricum forms from Russia and from China. Russian erythroniums has dark base of flower segments (such are in all samples, from very different localities), even subsp. altaicum has colored (yellow) outer base, but in plants from China it is large and white.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Day was nice and Erythronium flowers aquired usual shape. Here several Erythroniums - in E. sibiricum give attention to variability of design at flower segments base.
Erythronium caucasicum from Georgia
E. dens-canis Biokovo (Slovakia?)
E. sibiricum from China
E. sibiricum Freckled Girl
E. sibiricum color variants, some more later.
Janis