Eucomis 2010

[Brian Ellis]

there are quite a few that haven't flowered though  ..... good grief, I think you already have more flowering than I  knew existed!

I had to grow something in the Summer to fill up the time I spend on snowdrops Maggi

[johnw]

Brian - A great looking group of Eucomis.

We grew some seed with this code - HPSMAG95-452 3/96 in March 1996.  It was from the Hardy Plant Society but I can't remember if the seed was from the British HPS, the Pennsylvania HPS or the Oregon HPS.  In any event we grow four of them in the same pot and keep them separated by bamboo stakes.  We have been meaning to assess them for years so now I know who to ask.  Here are three of them.

The flowerheads are 11 inches tall excluding stem and top bits, the white one is 13 inches.

Your learned opinion appreciated. Be brutal as we need space.

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Firstly my apologies Maggi et al, the Eucomis marked 'Zeal Bronze' is actually E.pole-evansii - a victim of too many photos and me getting in a muddle over which label went with which photo

So Maggi E. pole-evansii is 33" from soil to top and the inflorescence is 16" (if only they were all like that) it is still a youngish bulb and I think it can get much, much bigger!  Out of interest I measured the others in the same way and their measurements are as follows:
Eucomis bicolor 19"/7"  (the smallest it has been for a couple of years
Eucomis comosa 'Cornwood' 20"/11"
Eucomis vandermewei 'Octopus' 6"/4"
Eucomis pallidiflora 22"/9"
Eucomis 'Peace Candles'20"/10"
Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy' 22"/10"
Eucomis 'Swazi Pride' 17"/7"

Hopefully still to come this year are E.zambesiaca, autumnalis subsp. clavata, autumnalis subsp. amaryllidifolia.  The non flowerers are Joys purple, John Treasure, my false schijffi and Zeal Bronze.
I have also grown Eucomis regia from seed, this is a winter growing species and I wonder if I will ever get it to flower!

John I am no expert, I believe the best article is in Vol 55 of Herbertia (2000) but I have not yet got my hands on a copy of that.  They look like they may be E.comosa hybrids but I am afraid your faith in my learned opinion is misplaced this time!  I will try and track down Herbertia again but it always seems to be out of stock!

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Brian. The measurements for the others are interesting too.... they can get to be chunky critters, can't they? 

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks, Brian. The measurements for the others are interesting too.... they can get to be chunky critters, can't they? 

Indeed they can Maggi, the opposite to snowdrops  however, one of my favourites is the E.vandermewii 'Octopussy' which is nearly all flower.

[johnw]

Brian - Actually not so concerned about the species or hybridity, more  whether they are worth saving or are they just ho-hum.

johnw

[daveyp1970]

could somebody answer my question please,i was told by a friend that the easiest method of multiplying my named Eucomis was to detach a leaf and stick it in water,well i took a leaf of my E.joy's purple and as you can see from the photo there are small bulbs forming and even roots.So my question is in two parts really ,has anybody tried this method?and what should i do leave the leaf or pot it up?

[ArnoldT]

Dave:

Have a peak at the PBS ( Pacific Bulb Society) archives.  I recall one of our members had written on this process for Eucomis.  You can search the archives for the relevant message.

[Brian Ellis]

Davey I would pot it in some gritty compost and give it a protective covering like a mini propagator, to keep it from drying out.

[David Nicholson]

Brian, you mentioned Eucomis 'Cornwood' and I wondered if you know anything about the plant's history. The reason I ask is that Cornwood is the next village to mine http://www.cornwood.village.org.uk/  and I wondered if there is any conection between village and plant?

[daveyp1970]

cheers for that Arnold and Brian.

[Lesley Cox]

There are and have been in the past, South African rugby players, (and mighty good ones  ) whose names were/are pronounced van der Merve-a but how they're spelt I don't know. I suspect the w is pronounced as a v anyway.

[Brian Ellis]

Of course there were Lesley, thanks for the input.

David I really don't know where Cornwood originated, although I have an inkling that it was named by Avon bulbs.

[Brian Ellis]

Brian, you mentioned Eucomis 'Cornwood' and I wondered if you know anything about the plant's history. The reason I ask is that Cornwood is the next village to mine http://www.cornwood.village.org.uk/  and I wondered if there is any conection between village and plant?

Indeed it has a connection David, I knew I had seen it somewhere, it was in The Garden September 2008 p585
"'Cornwood' was chosen by the late Peter Glover of the Cornwood Estate in Devon who loved white flowers.  Its cream flowers have purple centres and several hundred are produced on each spike, providing nectar for bees and butterflies."

Looks like mine has a way to go.  I had deliberately put this article to the back of my mind as it mentions quite a few varieties I don't grow.  Yesterday I ordered more

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for that Brian.