Jim;
We have many clones of Lycoris aurea, which have been in the ground since 2003 and still flower regularly. Other clones died in the teens F. All of the survivors were from Guizhou Prov., China and were fine through two nights in single digits, one @ 7F and one @ 9f. In our experience it is essential to keep them dry in the winter.
I agree is the most tender species, but with the largest natural range of any lycoris species, the winter hardiness of Lycoris aurea should vary widely as well.
Lycoris aurea is native to:
Burma (Myanmar)
India
Indonesia
Laos
Pakistan
Thailand
Vietnam
China
Fujian
Gansu
Guangdong
Guangxi (Duan, Guilin)
Guizhou (Mt. Faning)
Henan
Hong Kong
Hubei Prov. (Mt. Guanyin Fang County)
Hunan Prov. (Zhangjiajie City)
Jiangsu Prov, (Yixing City)
Jiangxi
Shaanxi
Sichuan Prov (Chengdu)
Yunnan (Dali, xishuangbanna)
Zhejiang Prov (Mt. Tianmu)(Mt. Mogan)(Yueqing County)
Tony Avent
Proprietor
tony@plantdelights.com
Juniper Level Botanic Garden<http://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/> and Plant Delights Nursery<http://www.plantdelights.com/>
Ph 919.772.4794/fx 919.772.4752
9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA
USDA Zone 7b/Winter 0-5 F/Summer 95-105F
"Preserving, Studying, Propagating, and Sharing the World’s Flora”
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery is THE Source for unique, rare and native perennial plants.
From: pbs [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of James Waddick
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2017 2:59 PM
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [pbs] Lycoris conditions.
Dear Martin and all,
It is hard to guess your specific climate conditions. Here in the US when people ask if they can grow any of the species other than squamigera I ask if they see squamigera growing around the neighborhood. It is a common indicator of climate suitability. If squamigera grows there, you can grow a half dozen others VERY easily. Won’t work for you.
So I suggest you continue with you squamigera. They much prefer ( do much better) in the ground rather than pots. Bulbs should be planted completely buried. In nature they grow partially exposed, but not in cold climates. They do take a couple years to settle in and start to produce flowering stems, but then bloom each year thereafter. Generally pest andd trouble free.
The L. aurea is one of the trickiest to grow. It is the most succulent and least frost tender as well as the largest in the genus. Leaves can get to one yard/ meter long and an inch (2-3 cm) wide. You cannot grow it well where temps go below 0C.
Good luck with your L. squamigera Jim W.
On Feb 25, 2017, at 12:33 AM, Garak <garak@code-garak.de><mailto:garak@code-garak.de%3e> wrote:
Dear Jim,
i actually did acquire everything I could get my hands on - which was L. squamigera and L. aurea for now - With the squamigera I got the very last batch Lauw sold last year, so they weren't big enough to flower - no flower, no lifesign in autumn, so was a bit worried, but at least the bulb i kept as "Backup" in a pot in my bright, nearly frost free garage ( electrical heating becomes expensive with 3 weeks of permanent frost) shows leaves since yesterday, so I'm looking forward for outdoor foliage.
The aurea was a fickle thing from the very beginning - second season in frost free conditions now, but even so very difficult considering water management and mold, so it's more on the brink of survival than even close to flowering.
As for your theories, i guess the industrialization problem should be a big one - in times where professionals breed for identical days to flower from seed for different petunia color forms, everything has to be as efficient as possible - well at least that opens a market niche for all those small specialized nurseries. The temperature conditions are fulfilled in my area - both the -15°C and the +38°C occurred in the past 356 days (sorry, can't think in Fahrenheit ;-), though the +38 is somewhat new since the millennium - maybe the future of European lycoris is only beginning....
Someone else mentioned Nerine being easier and more colorful - not in my climate. I wouldn't dare to keep the N. bowdenii outside all winter, potted in the dry garage it worked without the heating, and that's the hardiest one and the only one commercially available. Anyhow, with Nerine you're limited to pink, white and orange-red - i understand that Lycoris is also strong in the yellow department.
Martin
Dr. James Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd
Kansas City, MO 64152-2711
USA
Phone 816-746-1949
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