FLower Substance

Joe Shaw jshaw@opuntiads.com
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:21:38 PDT
Hi Gang,

 

(First, let me apologize.  I think I sent an entire digest in my last message.  Sorry folks. I've got think before I hit the "send" button.)





Bloom substance refers to staying power, the ability of a flower to hold up.  Alophia drummondii is an exquisitely beautiful local wildflower.  However, in my experience it opens about 8:00 a.m. and is shriveled bebore noon, or sometimes 1:00 p.m.   Cloudy weather can help it survive a bit longer, but rain can shred the petals.  Thus, Alophia drummondii has little substance.

 

Amarcrinums bloom here in summer and fall and each flower can last for days, sometimes 5-6 days, even in August heat.  The cluster of flowers can last over 3 weeks because new flowers keep opening, but a lot depends on the specific hybrid.  Overall, amarcrinums have excellent substance-they make great cut flowers and they hold up well in the garden, in rain or heat.  

 

I've always been a bit disappointed with the substance of some crinums (yes, crinums are not perfect in every way).  I'm growing out some seedlings from Marcelle Sheppard, from plants she has noted that have good substance (individual flowers lasting 2 or perhaps 3 days).  Perhaps these seedlings will prove to have nice staying power in their blooms.  But, I wonder if folks out there have observations that can help me.  

 

I'm not interested in breeding a better Crinum, but I'd enjoy growing some that might exist already.  For instance, it seems to me that C. americanum- or C. erubescens-derived plants (or the species) have good substance.  Additionally, I know that some C. macowanii materials that Marcelle grows (her own or obtained from Les Hannibal) have good staying power.  If you can recommend such plants to me I'd appreciate it; I'd try to find them and grow them.   

 

 

Cordially,

 

Joe

Conroe TX

More rain this week, and hot too.  The only Crinum blooming for me this week are C. americanum-like plants (including C. x digweedii-types) and C. asiaticum.  

 

 

LINK:  PBS Wiki, Alophia 

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… 

 

LINK:  Alophia drummondii, close-up image

http://biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/images/… 

 

LINK:  Amarcrinum 'Fred Howard', Plant Delights Web catalog

http://plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/… 

 

LINK:  PBS Wiki, Amarcrinum 

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… 


More information about the pbs mailing list