Galanthus in December

[johnw]

Hagen - So we really should not be using a cultivar name for what is indeed a swarm and not even a grex.

To be completely honest I received it as Alanja Yayla and without the ' '. 

There has been some controversy over the markings as the grower back then said that the markings were separated rather than fused.  And later he reported that the apical markings changed a bit one year.  The outers remained 2.5cm long and the height 32-34cm when fully established.

What I do find is that the bulbs have refused to offset of late and are looking rather aged. Hopefully I can get it off-setting again.

johnw   - one wild &windy night w. torrential rain. +8c

[Melvyn Jope]

Paddy, what a lovely plant Paradise Giant is, beautiful markings. Thanks for posting the photos.

[Paddy Tobin]

Many thanks, Melvyn.

Here is one from today.

[Hagen Engelmann]

JohnW I agree with you.
Alanya Yayla is only the place of discovery. So it cannot be a cultivar name.
Here in Germany there is another group of big Galanthus elwesii called MAGDEBURGER RIESEN. It is feared, these bulbs have the same background like your Alanya Yayla.

[johnw]

Hagen - Giant!  Hell, had I known that I would have jumped off the DB as we passed through Magdeburg.  I wanted to see that cathedral too but the allure of Thüringian sausages won out.

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Of course if it was America MAGDEBURGER RIESEN would be a basketball team

[Hagen Engelmann]

But the flowers are big like a basketball

[Tim Harberd]

Hi John,
   Thanks for measuring the outers of your Alanya Yayla (2.5cm). Do either of the two giants referred to dwarf this?

Tim DH

[Oakwood]

Hi all!!

The biggest flowered drops I've ever seen or cultivated I've collected in some mountain range of Crimea!!! This is G. plicatus - 2 clones which differ a bit in flower form but both measure of 4.6 cm with ovary!!

[mark smyth]

very nice. Are they flowering now?

[Tim Harberd]

Dimitri!
   They are monstrous!!

   By looking at the ratios in the photo I reckon the outer length is about 34mm. (So that it can be compared with John’s post for Alanya Yayla (25mm).

   Its not something you read very often on this website but (in my opinion) please can you name the better form! (I prefer the fuller shape of 2)

   Also, please can I be first on the buyers list!!

Tim DH

[Oakwood]

very nice. Are they flowering now?

No, Mark, they all bloom in March, it is of G. plicatus ssp. plicatus plants......

[Oakwood]

Dimitri!
   They are monstrous!!

   By looking at the ratios in the photo I reckon the outer length is about 34mm. (So that it can be compared with John’s post for Alanya Yayla (25mm).

   Its not something you read very often on this website but (in my opinion) please can you name the better form! (I prefer the fuller shape of 2)

   Also, please can I be first on the buyers list!!

Tim DH

Tim, I like both forms, even I can't choose what is the best. The first one has very narrow gracile whole flower, petals and ovary, but the second seems have more a bit huge flower and with more interesting inner segment mark.... Of note, both possess huge bulbs as big as of garden daffodil ones!!!!!!!!!! Last summer I've got a significant bulbs' reduction at both clones cause of the mole walked through(((((
On occasion, I asked Aaron what the biggest drops' cultivars are grown by him, he replied G. elwesii YVONNE HAY and G. elwesii  JUNIPER'S GIANT. Never heard about second cultivar, does anybody grow it?? really huge???

[ChrisD]

Very nice Dimitri, Paddy, JohnW and Hagen. Nice plants and nice photos. Giant could mean "very large flowered" or "very tall", in my view it would ideally mean both 

So a question for you all, approximately how tall are these drops, I like tall drops with large flowers.

Chris

[mark smyth]

I'm happy to see my 3 single nosed Ailwyn, 2011, have increased to 8 noses