Childanthus fragrans

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Thu, 20 Nov 2003 07:58:02 PST
Dear All,

Julian Slade from Australia posted this on the AB Images list a few days 
ago and I thought everyone not on that list would be interested so with 
Julian's permission I am sharing it. In response to his question about 
whether anyone else was growing and flowering this there was another 
Australian with it in bloom and a couple who had not ever been able to get 
it to flower. The one whose was in bloom said she had hers in her shed 
until it started to leaf out and then she placed it in the garden where it 
had to count on what nature provided. They had a very dry period followed 
by rain so her experience is similar to Julian's described below. I threw 
mine out long ago since it never bloomed, but for those of you who are 
still trying perhaps this post will help. In giving me permission to share 
this, Julian also says, "I should also add the caveat that my results could 
also possibly be due to luck!"

Mary Sue

Dear all

In the past week I managed to flower Chlidanthus fragrans, the so-called Sea
Daffodil.

It has a reputation of being difficult to flower; plants in cultivation
appear to be always virus-infected. I have had this for many years, and the
only thing I did differently this year was to NOT water the pot, despite the
emerging leaves. When the leaf tips dried off, I then watered the pot to
saturation point. Then, just over a week ago and to my great delight, 2 out
of the dozen or so bulbs rapidly burst into bloom.

Even though it is obvious that this species has perfumed flowers, I have
never read exactly what it smells like: to me it has a delicate scent rather
like lemon squash with added sugar.

Does anyone else grow (and flower) this?

Regards

Julian Slade



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