A list of Drakensberg geophytes with elevations part 2

J.E. Shields jshields@indy.net
Fri, 02 May 2008 09:08:39 PDT
We grow a lot of South African bulbs here, but almost all of them inside 
the greenhouses.  The summer growing Nerine are summered outdoors, most in 
full sun but the N. bowdenii in the lath house (partial shade).

We have one plant of Kniphofia northiae that has survived in the raised 
rock garden for several years; and Gladiolus oppositiflorus salmoneus 
survive outdoors all year round in one or two beds.  We have a few Crinum 
that survive the winters outdoors in the ground here, but I'm not sure any 
of them actually grow in the Drakensberg.  C. [bulbispermum X Natal 
lugardiae] are pretty winter hardy here, as are C. variabile and C. 
[variabile X bulbispermum].  An occasional C. [macowanii X bulbispermum] 
and C. [graminicola X bulbipsermum] or the reverse crosses will survive one 
of our winters.

I have one Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Green Goddess' that survives outdoors 
in the ground all year round, but only right up against the greenhouse 
wall.  Z. rehmannii ought to as well, since some of its hybrids do (e.g., 
'Black Forest', 'Black Pearl').  We grow Z. albomaculata only in pots and 
winter them indoors, dry and cool.

Inside the greenhouses, the sky is the limit!  Haemanthus, Clivia, 
Lachenalia, Massonia, etc.  Lachenalia and Massonia are strictly winter 
rainfall plants, of course.  Clivia caulescens qualifies as a Drakensberg 
plant I think, since it grows at Gods Window.  Haemanthus albiflos and H. 
pauculifolius are probably berg plants too.  Nerine bowdenii have survived 
the winter outdoors in the ground here, but they just barely make it; and 
they never bloom in the ground.

Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)

*************************************************
Jim Shields             USDA Zone 5             Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92              WWW:    http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344     or      toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA



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