Erythronium 2010

[Ed Alverson]

Not to rub it in or anything, but as anyone who has been watching the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver will know, this winter has been very mild on the northwest coast of North America.  January 2010 was the warmest on record in many parts of this region, and February has continued the trend.  As a result, spring has arrived very early, even for a part of the world where spring tends to arrive early anyway.  Erythronium has been no exception, I have several Erythronium species blooming now in the open garden, in late February, earlier than I have ever seen.  These early bloomers include Erythronium hendersonii and Erythronium tuolumnense, and yellow flower buds are showing on E. grandiflorum. Also, slightly less developed buds are present on Erythronium oregonum and Erythronium helenae right now, they should be blooming in the next week or so. 

Ed

[Ed Alverson]

I have good numbers of two different clones of Erythronium tuolumnense, neither of which is exemplary.  It is interesting to watch their development, as the differences are particularly pronounced early in the season.  One clone (in the left of the photo) emerges earlier, is very leafy, and has relatively small flowers.  The second clone (on the right) emerges about 10 days later, but the flowers start to open when the plants are first emerging.  As a result, the first flowers are somewhat upward facing.  As spring progresses, however, the differences between the two clones are less and less evident.  These distinctions must have a genetic basis because they have been consistent from year to year.  It is interesting to see this in a rare species that has a very limited geographic distribution in the wild.  The ability to propagate vegetatively from offsets must help to maintain such differences in cultivation.

Ed

[Maggi Young]

Not to rub it in or anything

Yeah, right !! Ed, you are SOOOOOOO mean to us!
Better not let Ian see this.... it'll ruin his day! Only one or two tiny precocious Erythroniums noses showing here 

[Rodger Whitlock]

I have good numbers of two different clones of Erythronium tuolumnense, neither of which is exemplary.

The "standard" version of E. tuolumnense grown here in Victoria, BC (i.e. the one passed hand to hand) has undersized flowers, compared with other erythroniums. I believe the same clone is widely distributed elsewhere because the small flowers of E.t. have been commented on more than once. This clone is notable for its vegetative proliferation; a few bulbs will multiply luxuriantly in just a few years, hence it is no surprise that it should be very widely distributed in gardens.

However, having such small flowers is not typical of the species. Back in the late 1980s or early 1990s, the Archibalds mounted a collecting expedition to California, one of the targets of which was a larger flowered form of E. tuolumnense. By now, bulbs from the Archibalds' collecting should be grown fairly widely and it would be a surprise if there weren't clones that vastly outdo the old one in terms of flower-power.

[Diane Whitehead]

In 2004, I bought Erythronium dens-canis from Janis Ruksans, one each
of 7 kinds, and planted them in alphabetical order.  They vary greatly in
their growth and flowering, and I wonder if it is because of their variety,
competition from other plants, or difference in the amount of light they get.

The first two "Frans Hals" and "Lilac Wonder" are on the left side of the
first picture. They get the most light, and have no competition. They have
formed nice clumps and have bloomed well for several years.  

The next one is subsp niveum which has been overtaken by a vigourous
Cyclamen. If you can see part of a white label on the far right of the first
picture, you may be able to see its two leaves and single bud.  This will
be its first flower.

'Pink Perfection' also grows near the cyclamen, has never flowered, and
has one leaf this year.

There is less light for the plants in the next picture, which are shaded
by a large rhododendron and have never flowered, though they are not
competing with other plants. 'Rose Queen' has made a nice clump, 'Snowflake'
has a lot of robust leaves, and 'White Splendour' has only a few leaves.

Any advice?  Shall I move them?  Cyclamen hederifolium and coum,
Anemone nemorosa and Helleborus niger bloom well in the same area.

[Hristo]

Ed, Diane, we are a bit behind you but the Erythronium dens-canis ssp. Niveum in the local woodlands have started to flower. In the garden most of the dens-canis cultivars are a few warm days away from flowering too.

[gote]

 They vary greatly in
their growth and flowering, and I wonder if it is because of their variety,
competition from other plants, or difference in the amount of light they get.

The first two "Frans Hals" and "Lilac Wonder" are on the left side of the
first picture. They get the most light, and have no competition. They have
formed nice clumps and have bloomed well for several years.  

The next one is subsp niveum which has been overtaken by a vigourous
Cyclamen. If you can see part of a white label on the far right of the first
picture, you may be able to see its two leaves and single bud.  This will
be its first flower.

It is dangerous to have views on this because climates are so different. However, My unnamed dens-canis grow very well in dark places whereas my clone of niveum is a veakling but a very beautiful weakling and it has more light and no competition.
I tend to believe in clonal variations.
Göte

[Diane Whitehead]

So, it looks as though niveum is naturally weak.  Even in the wild,
there are no clumps, just single plants in Chris' photos.

I will cosset it.

[Hristo]

I would not describe Niveum as being a weakling as a sub-species. It is not given to vegetative increase but it's  increase by seed is prodigious. I will take some pics of the woodland floor which in places looks to be carpeted by Niveum leaves. I'm afraid my pics were selected for flowers rather than leaves. I have not seen dens-canis growing in other stations withn it's range so have no feel for it's ability to increase vegetatively. I had thought that the named cultivars were in part selected for their abillity to increase vegetatively, a feature not perhaps common in the wild for the species.
  Niveum in Bulgaria is found growing in deciduous woodland before the canopy greens at altitudes of 400m+ and can be found growing on woodland edges and upland fields at 1500m in competition with rank grasses.

[gote]

I would not describe Niveum as being a weakling as a sub-species. It is not given to vegetative increase but it's  increase by seed is prodigious. I will take some pics of the woodland floor which in places looks to be carpeted by Niveum leaves. I'm afraid my pics were selected for flowers rather than leaves. I have not seen dens-canis growing in other stations withn it's range so have no feel for it's ability to increase vegetatively. I had thought that the named cultivars were in part selected for their abillity to increase vegetatively, a feature not perhaps common in the wild for the species.
  Niveum in Bulgaria is found growing in deciduous woodland before the canopy greens at altitudes of 400m+ and can be found growing on woodland edges and upland fields at 1500m in competition with rank grasses.

A plant that occrs naturally is rarely a weakling it its own biotope. As I tried to express: My experience is with the clone I happen to grow and in my climate.
Göte

[Hristo]

Göte, I uderstood your statement perfectly, indeed your clone may be a weakling or might be better described as poorly adapted to the cultural conditions in which it now finds itself. I simply wish to point out that Niveum is not a 'weakling' per se.
Chris

[gote]

Göte, I uderstood your statement perfectly, indeed your clone may be a weakling or might be better described as poorly adapted to the cultural conditions in which it now finds itself. I simply wish to point out that Niveum is not a 'weakling' per se.
Chris

Would you have seeds available later this year?
I would be interested in buying some. With some variation in the genetic makeup I might get some growing better.
Cheers
Göte

[Janis Ruksans]

The first in flowers this year was Erythronium caucasicum very soon followed by
E. dens-canis form from Rožnov in Slovakia
E. sibiricum usually is very late. Exception is this selection made by Arnis Seisums an named 'Early Wonder'
This year it was followed by new, described by me black anthered E. sibiricum subsp. sulevii.
Janis

[Afloden]

Here are the three eastern North American yellow flowered species; E. americanum in the wild in Campbell County, TN, E. rostratum in the garden, and E. umbilicatum in the garden.

 

[Maggi Young]

Aaron, great pix.... I suppose you know  you are making an old Bulb Despot very happy?!