Delphinium carolinianum

C W Mueller cynthiasbulbs@hotmail.com
Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:38:18 PDT
Dennis, I've transplanted D. Carolinianum from roadsides near College Station,Tx.  They lived a few years, then faded away.  The embankment was of course well drained but did have a ditch which collected water on occasion.  They were growing in conjunction with twist-leaf yucca, native tradescantia, coreopsis and Texas Bluebonnets.  Shrub starts nearby were wild acacia and even low clumps of Rosa macrantha, often called 'Macartney's rose - one of the toughest, sometimes growing within a foot or so from the hot pavement.  This was probably scraped up during road construction in front of an old abandoned house and deposited heaven knows how far down the road.  The soil was a yellowish sort of sugar sand and the dominant trees were scattered post oaks, known for prefering poor soils.  If only this plant, with its beautiful blue shades, were a little easier to grow.  Most of these perennials did become dormant in summer conditions, when local grasses take over.  It does produce seed easily.

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On Jul 12, 2011, at 6:35 PM, Dennis Kramb <dkramb@badbear.com> wrote:

> A while back I tried cultivating several plants of the integrade form of D.
> carolinianum / virescens.  I planted it in my prairie bed and it bloomed
> that first year but I haven't seen it since.
> 
> This spring I got some more D. carolinianum.  They grew for a while, then
> disappeared without blooming.  Today I read that the species is mid-summer
> dormant, so now I'm wondering if my plants are actually dead or just
> dormant.  (I don't remember exactly where they were planted to be able to
> check.)
> 
> Is anyone on the list aware of any special needs for this species?  I grew
> (grow?) them in a mesic, full sun, setting along with my Helianthus,
> Asclepias, Solidago, Veronicastrum, Silphium, and other prairie forbs.
> 
> Tentatively I've thought they're just short lived plants that have not
> reseeded.  But I am not very experienced with this (or any) Delphinium
> species.  And until today I was unaware of this summer dormancy.
> 
> I don't know if this is important, but I also lost several Manfreda
> virginica that I transplanted in the same prairie bed as D. viriscens.  The
> Manfreda also died out within 1 year.  That's odd because I've never lost
> Manfredas in other parts of my yard.
> 
> It could also be that I over-coddled or under-coddled them when first
> transplanted.  I'm stumped.  But I love this species and would love to get
> it established en masse.
> 
> The PBS wiki does not have any info on D. carolinianum.
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Dennis in Cincy
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