Veltheimia TOW

Bonsaigai37@aol.com Bonsaigai37@aol.com
Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:25:02 PST
Hurray!

Finally!!! we get to Veltheimia.  Can you quess it's one of my favorites?  In 
addition to Hippeastrum, Veltheimia are definitely on the "must" list... must 
have, must grow, and so wonderful everyone must know about them...  I happen 
to enjoy other members of Hyacinthaceae too; Ledebouria, Bowiea, etc.... but 
this is about Veltheimia.  Yes?

One of the finest plants, I agree with Hardman, if only the leaves grew, it 
would still be an asset to indoor horticulture.  BUT IT BLOOMS.  This is one of 
the few easy plants to grow and provides satisfying flowers at a tiem of year 
we all need color in our lives.  I spoke with a grower a few years back and 
he said it was never going to be a good cut flower because the public wants 
vibrant color.  With the recent crosses, and deeper color saturation, I believe 
that soon this plant could easily enter the cut flower market with new life.  

Easily grown from seed, this geophyte can bloom within three years from 
sowing.  I had to stop myself from wholesale propagation due to lack of space.  
Having nearly 100 plants of Veltheimia alone, one must (there's that word again) 
control one's self... Yeah whatever... I've never been good at self control 
when it comes to plants.  

While I have yet to see a good yellow - primrose yellow, without green... the 
color range is lovely.  From a soft apple blossom pink to deep, dusky rose 
red, the single species alone provide great variation.  (As we can see, a single 
species of Galanthus can cause quite a stir...) 

As the TOW intro suggested, provided with ample drainage, this plant grows 
and blooms with alacrity.  If only they all were so agreeable to cultivation...

In praise of Veltheimia,
Michael Loos
Honest Earth Consultation
in Cleveland... where it's an "all skate"


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