Lycoris incarnata

[Alessandro.marinello]

for me of difficult cultivation, even if I possess some species, are rare blooming

[PeterT]

congratulations Allessandro, how long have you been growing it?

[Alessandro.marinello]

Thanks Peter
I have had bulbs forces flower, I have attended three years in order to see the flower

[Ezeiza]

Alessndro, this is normal, as what one usually acquires is an offset or young bulb. As with Hymenocallises, this leads to the wrong assumption that they are exceedingly difficult to grow.

Yours is the true incarnata. Years ago I received a fire red one under this name that could ID so far.

[johnw]

Super Alessandro. Why not try crossing it with your Rhodphiala both ways?

johnw

[jshields]

Lycoris incarnata has survived in my garden, but rarely bloomed, if ever.  Italy might be a better location than Indiana to see this species in flower; are you thinking of moving, Josh?

Jim

[Alessandro.marinello]

Super Alessandro. Why not try crossing it with your Rhodphiala both ways?

johnw

Johnw
creed that I must attend the next year, if possible

[Alessandro.marinello]

Lycoris incarnata has survived in my garden, but rarely bloomed, if ever.  Italy might be a better location than Indiana to see this species in flower; are you thinking of moving, Josh?

Jim

Jim
it seems that to bloom better to than outside, I want to wait for of having some, before trying, I do not know if it resists to our winter

[Ezeiza]

Alessndr, there is a different Lycoris for any climate. From cold to tropical.

[Alessandro.marinello]

Alberto
We have argillaceous and humid ground, when the temperatures come down under the zero, in the winter period, not to be good for bulbs

[fermi de Sousa]

We have Lycoris incarnata flower most years (see this link:http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6912.msg195067;topicseen#new ) but have never had any seed set - possibly because they are all one clone. As it's the first Lycoris to flower there is no other one to cross it with. I'd never considered trying Rhodophiala pollen but might next year.
cheers
fermi

[Ezeiza]

Alessandro, not for the ground, but for your climate OUTDOORS there is a group of Lycoris spp. and hybrids that would do very well. But Jim knows them better and can recommend you which.

[jshields]

If the ground freezes in winter, as ours does here every year, one must concentrate on the spring-foliage Lycoris; and it is better to avoid the autumn- and winter-foliage types.  We grow our Lycoris outdoors in the ground and every year have reliable bloom on Lycoris caldwellii, chinensis, longituba, sanguinea, sprengeri, hybrids of these species, and of course squamigera.  The types that survive but do not always bloom include haywardii, houdyshelii, straminea, and numerous hybrids.  The drought conditions here this summer may adversely affect our Lycoris bloom this year.

I was wrong -- we do not have incarnata here; I believe I was thinking of straminea.  We have had radiata radiata to survive and even bloom for several years in a row, but eventually they die. L. radiata pumila, the diploid form of radiata, does not survive here but a couple of its hybrids with the hardier species do persist and bloom.

I find hybrids of sprengeri with chinensis and longituba to be varied and quite hardy.  Some of them are exquisite in flower.  Unfortunately it takes up to 7 years to bring a Lycoris from seed to first flowering.  The seeds need the cold of winter to germinate, and in fact they occasionally volunteer in the beds near chinensis and longituba.

In general, however, intentionally getting a seedling to grow for 7 years is difficult to manage in my garden, although we do it with potted plants inside the greenhouses.  Unfortunately, I have not found a way to keep Lycoris alive when growing them in containers here.  Potted Lycoris invariably waste away in my care.

The winter-foliage types like the commercially available aurea and traubii, and eventually radiata, are a total loss here, usually sooner rather than later.

Jim

[PeterT]

This is a very usefull synopsis Jim, Thankyou.
It seems that the best bet in most of europe would be to plant all but the most tender of them in the ground! much like Nerine bowdenii ?

[jshields]

.......
It seems that the best bet in most of europe would be to plant all but the most tender of them in the ground! much like Nerine bowdenii ?

The species of Lycoris that I listed as hardy are much hardier than Nerine bowdenii, and they all need a deep chill in winter.  They can survive in ground that is frozen solid for weeks at a time.  So by all means, in Europe (anywhere warmer than USDA cold zone 4) plant all but the most tender directly into the ground.

Jim