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 Am 23.02.2017 um 17:41 schrieb James Waddick: > Martin, > > I am often confounded that Lycoris are not more wide spread everywhere they can grow. In this part of the US. L. squamigera is a common garden plant evn in suburban tracts where very few other flowering shrubs, perennials or bulbs are grown. They are just so easy and trouble free. > > I can only guess why they are not more common in Europe particularly the variety of species that are available. > > 1. I suspect (strongly) that the Dutch Bulb industry is just not ‘tuned' into the special growing schedule of Lycoiris. Bulbs mature and are dormant in mid summer- June/July/August and should be dug and shipped in mid -summer. Bulbs also should not dry out and shouild not be baked. Freshly dug bulbs should not be stored dry, but planted in mid-summer. Essentially they do not fit the pattern for handlling tulips and daffodils. > > 2. The genus has 2 distinct groups: Those with foliage that appears in fall and stays emergent all winter. In general these are not nearly as hardy as others in the genus. I cannot or barely grow any. L. radiata does survive in my Zone 5.6 garden, but does not bloom every year. INn milder clmates the can become serious weeds. L. aurea (it is often misidentified and named) is among the most tender species and only suited to mildest gardens. > The other groups has foliage that appears in spring and thus no winter damage and are mostly very hardy. These are the ones I grow. > > 3. All the hardiest species are Chinese and they have just not been available in large quantities from Chinese sources. I have over the years imported and sold hundreds of bulbs with mostly success. Most growers sell individual bulbs at high prices rather than groups of 3 or 5 or 10 each. > > 4. They simply do not grow in all parts of the world. In the UK, in general, they do not do well. UK gardeners are among the more influential garden writers and they do not extoll the wonders of Lycoris. > > 5. Here in my specific continental climate with cold winters ( 0F and lower) and hot summers (100 F and higher), they thrive and put on wonderful displays in August and Sept when nothing can match them in the garden. The bulbs mutlliply well and some set fertile seed that self sow around the garden. Natural hybrids are bee produced and equally fertile. > > I do encourage you seek these ot and try them. They can be slow to establish if mishandled (dried out), but they are very rewarding. I suggest you try L. squamigera in your garden as this is easy and most available. If you are in a mild climate I suggest L. radiata which is usualyy the lowest price of any Lyciris and quite showy. Best wishes and good luck. > > Jim w. > > > > > > On Feb 22, 2017, at 11:21 PM, Garak <garak@code-garak.de> wrote: > > Dear Jim, > > thanks again for that excellent and mouth-watering article. According to your description, there are several Lycoris for continental zone 5-7 climate and semi shade fall flowering - that (rare) combination should make them an essential garden species in most of middle Europe - yet they are virtually unheard of and hard to obtain - Lauw de Jager offers 3 Species (L. aurea, radiata and squamigera) in small quantities, but that's about it with European sources, and on Ebay there's either american sources or those from the home country of very untalented photoshop artists - so what is it that keeps Lycoris from the European breakthrough they seem to deserve? > > Martin > Southern Germany > > Am 22.02.2017 um 15:08 schrieb James Waddick: >> >> The article I had in mind is the first on your list http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… >> > Dr. James Waddick > 8871 NW Brostrom Rd > Kansas City, MO 64152-2711 > USA > Phone 816-746-1949 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ -- Martin ---------------------------------------------- Southern Germany Likely zone 7a _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/