What Is Your Oldest Plant?

James L. Jones jmsjon664@aol.com
Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:02:02 PDT
Abiding by Judy's focus on bulbs I will pass by Stewartia pseudocamellia from 1966 (its self-sown seedlings now forming a grove on my daughter's property) and use this opportunity to vent once again about Chionodoxa lucilliae, a 1973 acquisition that bided its time for 37 years before making its bid for garden domination.  It's worth mentioning again because I have in fact succeeded in eradicating it to all extents and purposes.  More positively, Tulipa (probably 'Shirley'} came with the house 49 years ago and has maintained a tantalizing presence since. Several nondescript kinds of Narcissus have provided a supportive cast throughout this time.


This year's hassle was Ruellia humilis, a matter of limited interested to bulbophiles.


Jim Jones
Lexington, MA



-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Glattstein <jgglatt@gmail.com>
To: pbs <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Mon, Oct 1, 2012 4:55 pm
Subject: [pbs] What Is Your Oldest Plant?


The question (and Peter's answer) intrigues me.

Since we're PBS I suppose we should narrow the field. What's everyone 
oldest bulb / corm /tuber and what's their earliest bulb-related memory?

My question so I guess I get to go first.

I remember my mother grow some paper white narcissus in oyster shell 
chips. They were started off in the dark cupboard under the sink. That 
was a number of decades ago, more than I'm going to admit to in public.

For longevity - has to be the Cyclamen persicum that my parents brought 
back from Israel as a fell out along the roadside tuber from Jerusalem 
in 1973. No restrictions back then, though I have a faint recollection 
that my father was sent to the bathroom and wash it a bit more. This 
delightful plant has lived under grow lights behind a false wall in a 
Connecticut basement, in a cool guest room, and now has the luxurious 
accommodations of a cool greenhouse. It started into growth about a week 
ago and I look forward to its extravagance of bloom this winter.

Judy


 



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