Galanthus suggestions for S. California

Tom Mitchell tom@evolution-plants.com
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:07:57 PST
Apologies if these suggestions have already been made - I haven't read the entire thread.

I think that the autumn-flowering G. peshmenii would work very well. It grows near sea level in a small region of the eastern Mediterranean, with hot dry summers and some winter rainfall. It is amazingly cold hardy in the UK but resents too much water during the dormant season and does better for me in a pot. In fact the best Galanthus for a pot with me. 

Easier to obtain would be G. reginae-olgae subs. vernalis, some forms of which occur in similar habitat, though with much more winter rainfall.

A third possibility, from a similar habitat, would be G. cilicicus from lowish altitudes in the Taurus Mountains. This is a rare plant in cultivation (and in the wild) however. My few young plants were grown from seed and have not yet flowered.

Finally, G. rizehensis occurs near sea level along the SE shores of the Black Sea. Again much more rainfall than S California but worth a try.

Tom




> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:06:45 -0800
> From: Harold Koopowitz <hkoopowi@uci.edu>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] pbs] Galanthus nivallis
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <201201311406.q0VE6g8M002063@esmtp1.es.uci.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
> 
> And I am still looking for a Galanthus that will grow in Southern California.
> Harold
> 
> At 09:46 PM 1/30/2012, you wrote:
>> The late Wayne Roderick once showed me a garden in Orinda, CA, where
>> Galanthus elwesii was thoroughly naturalised and even 'escaping' to the
>> roadside. As I recall, Orinda is on the very edge of the fog belt.
>> 
>> I think that G. elwesii, with its origins in Mediterranean conditions, would
>> be a better bet in the Bay Area than G. nivalis from central Europe.
>> 
>> John Grimshaw
>> 
>> Visit John Grimshaw's Garden Diary
>> http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.com/
>> 
>> Dr. John M. Grimshaw
>> Sycamore Cottage
>> Colesbourne
>> Cheltenham
>> Gloucestershire
>> GL53 9NP
>> 
>> Tel. 01242 870567
>> 
>> Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park 2012
>> Every Saturday and Sunday in February and 3-4 March from 1pm
>> Guided group tours on weekdays by appointment.
>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Message: 5
>>>> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:01:08 -0800
>>>> From: "Carol Thornton" <carolt@lmi.net>
>>>> 
>>>> Hi All,
>>>> I have an Irish friend who now lives in Mountain View and would like to
>>>> plant snowdrops next
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> pbs mailing list
>> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/




More information about the pbs mailing list