Albuca

johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de
Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:03:59 PDT
Dear All,


Having followed the discussion about Albuca I am most amazed that a plant like 
Albuca shawii is considered hardy. I have grown it for some years and like it 
very much, especially the fragrant foliage.  So I will try some bulbs in the 
open garden and raise more from some seed that I saved from my own plants. So 
far it has been pot grown and kept in its dry compost in the pot in my cellar 
during winter.
What I am interested in are Albucas that can be planted in the open garden as 
summer bulbs like let's say ordinary hybrid Gladiolus. I would not mind digging 
them up and taking them indoors for winter if they are not hardy enough.  So 
far all Albucas I know except A. shawii are more or less evergreen so they 
dislike being dug up every year and cannot be kept as dry bulbs over winter. I 
grew something from seed that was meant to be Albuca angolensis but when the 
first flowers appeared it did not match the Silverhill description. They were 
greenish yellow not golden yellow and not fragrant as stated in the catalogue. 
(In gerneral I am very satisfied with Silverhill's quality, my shawiis are 
from them, too) And although being winter dormant this Albuca starts growth so 
early (right now), even dry bulbs produce a scape of buds in the cellar like a 
pale Asparagus so that again makes them difficult to handle. Does somebody in 
the forum have a suggestion which Albuca would match my requirements?
There is also a potful of A. clamwilliamigloria, I hope at least..... It seems 
to have an awkward growth pattern, sometimes visible but most of the time 
dormant, I never really know when to water and when not to, any suggestions for 
this one? I looked it up in the books and found that it is basically from a 
winter rain area but flowers without leaves..... At the moment there is not 
much foliage visible, strange for a winter grower.....
What kind of plant is Albuca maxima? Winter dormant?

With greetings from really cold spring weather with litterally snow-drop 
Nacissus in the garden......     Uli


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