Dear All: I just wonder why no one has mentioned Dahlias? Cheers, John E. Bryan Jane McGary wrote: > > I'm going to assume that "purple" refers to deep violet -- the color of the > darker Dutch crocuses -- rather than bluish red or pale colors that we > might call "lavender." > > Given that, the shiny violet of big crocuses is also found in some forms of > Crocus vernus, the ancestor of those large selections, which is not so > showy but less prone to flop over in bad weather, since its tube is > shorter. My favorite is one I bought under the name 'Haarlem Gem'; Antoine > Hoog told me it is not that clone (which has grayish outer segments), but > just a good form of C. vernus ssp. vernus. Similar colors can be found in > the normally paler C. tommasinianus, the rich violets being available in > clones such as 'Whitewell Purple'. > > I share Mary Sue's enthusiasm for the gleaming, large-flowered Brodiaea > elegans. Dichelostemma congesta can also be a rich color, though not > always. I have seen a plant said to be the natural hybrid Dichelostemma x > venusta that had flowers of deep red-violet. (Lately we have seen the Dutch > selection 'Pink Diamond' introduced and said to be this same cross, but I > doubt this, having heard the story of its introduction from the original > collector; I suspect 'Pink Diamond' is either a variant of D. ida-maia, or > a hybrid of that species and D. volubile.) > > I think the best "purple" in the bulbous irises is to be seen in selections > of Iris latifolia, the "English" iris (it actually comes from Spain). It > resembles "Dutch" (hybrids of Spanish species) irises in form but flowers > later and is more winter-hardy. Many selections of Reticulata iris species > and hybrids are available, most of them in the blue-violet range but some > more red-violet, such as 'George'. > > Many fritillarias are described as violet or purple, but the color is not > bright, so although I love the plants I wouldn't offer them as shining > examples of color. The modifiers "dusky," "brownish," and "muddy" are often > used along with "purple" for these flowers. > > And let's not forget the genus Allium, which offers many showy species, > especially from Central Asia, in bright violet. Most of them are tall > plants for the border. > > There are purple Alstroemerias, most of which are quite tender. The one I > grow is A. phillippii, and it is truly gorgeous -- a small plant with large > flowers of lavender boldly streaked in deep violet -- but I have to > remember to pull the pot out of the frame and carry it into the greenhouse > when deep frost threatens. > > Jane McGary > Northwestern Oregon, USA > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php