Hi Terry,
Eucomis is one of my favoured genera. But I do not know
E.humilis. From your email I gather that humilis is one of the smaller
species. My smallest are E.zambeziaca [flowering now] and E.vandermerwei,
although I have not grown E.reichenbachii or E.regia to their full size yet.
I have a few very young E.comosa hybrids but none seem to have
the colour of the parent which is deepest brown-purple until the leaves are
at least 30-40cm long, then they take up a greenish tinge from the leaf keel
and it suffuses toward the edge of the leaf where the purple colouration
remains until the leaves die back.
I have found in all the species I have that no part of the
vegetation above ground is tough or highly flexible. It is by nature
succulent and snaps fairly easily. They also rejoice in copious quantities
of water in their growth period and appreciate a modest amount of a
pelletised fertiliser like Osmokote.
I know of no Eucomis that has the traits to breed for
hardiness or toughness in the foliage or flowering parts.
Warren Glover
Sydney
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Hernstrom" <gardenersview@adelphia.net>
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 4:49 AM
Subject: [pbs] Eucomis hybrids?
> Dear all,
>
> I have a few Eucomis humilis blooming now. Outdoors. Beautiful plants!
> This
> got me to wonder if anybody is doing a hybrid program with Eucomis. For
> years I have been frustrated with the larger comosa, pole-evansii types.
> They grow wonderfully for me and very hardy but the flower spikes always
> seem to 'dance' around and finally fall over.
> Staking is an option of course but it seems a hybrid or cultivar with a
> rigid spike would be a boon to this genus. I tried to google this subject,
> nothing satisfactory came up.
> Any thoughts, opinions, or suggestions on this subject?
>
> Terry Hernstrom
> Director, Gardens & Grounds
> Kimberly Crest House & Gardens
> Redlands CA
> (where we have had a nasty frost recently, much superficial damage.
> Nerines
> taking it like a champ still in glorious bloom. No sign of any unusual out
> of season bloom. Of course I've only been here 10 years. My experience is
> a
> drop in the bucket in the whole scheme of things.)
>
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