South African Bulbs 2011

[Ezeiza]

On the contrary it is a hell of an attractive plant, odd not beautiful. Not easy to grow well, yours are super specimens. They look their best with the leaves pressed flat against the soil. You need to use a large pan in which they can display its foliage properly.

[Alessandro.marinello]

today in flower
Nothoscordum ostenii

[David Nicholson]

Really lovely Alessandro.

[Alessandro.marinello]

Thanks David

[PeterT]

well done Toney, congratulations

[Ezeiza]

Exceptionally rare in the wild.

[cohan]

Here's Whiteheadia bifolia, the poor relation of Massonia and Daubenya. I grew it from Alpine Garden Society seed, sown 3 years ago. It's the sort of plant only a mother could love: the leaves appear to have no stiffness in my growing conditions but just drape themselves about listlessly, completely dependent on support from the environment; the flowers, which are pollinated by mice, smell faintly musty. I suppose it's what they used to call a 'connoisseur's plant':

cool plant for sure! Some list I was looking at described some plants as being of 'botanical rather than horticultural interest' well, that depends on the interests of the horticulturalists!

[Michael J Campbell]

Ipheion dialystemon

[bulborum]

Hello Michael

Nice pictures
but I thought Ipheion had 6 petals
and not 8
is this an unusual form ??

Roland

[Michael J Campbell]

Roland, Nothing special that I know of,I got as the standard Ipheion dialystemon.

[Michael J Campbell]

Tristigama leichtlinii

[Maren]

I love that rich yellow. Is it hardy?

[Michael J Campbell]

Maren,no it needs to be kept frost free(or so the books say) although that one got one or two degrees of frost last winter and survived.

[Ezeiza]

It can stand several degrees of frost but in the wild it grows in a strong sunshine mild winter climate. There can be occasional -10  C frosts some years that leave the plants unharmed but this is not normal and it grows most all the time under the same temperatures a Cape bulb would grow in the Cape.

[Lesley Cox]

It is very beautiful Michael.