There are Leucocoryne species from the arid north of Chile, though one must remember that they grow in areas receiving moisture from the Pacific fog (camanchaca). The true Atacama has almost no plants in it -- mostly just near the highway or railroad where seeds have been brought in. Leucocoryne coquimbensis and L. purpurea are from nearer the central zone, where such crops as wine grapes and avocados are grown in the river valleys, and cattle are raised. Rhodophiala bagnoldii, which has a large bulb, does not emerge in years when there is no rain, but I saw some flowering in a drought year in a young olive planting with drip irrigation. Many of the showy plants of northern Chile are annuals, and as in southern California, they germinate and flower when rains occur. The shrubs survive drought years thanks to the fog, their leathery leaves (sclerophyllous), and, I assume, deep root systems. I feel that desert bulbs are quite content to receive water during their growing season, even every year. I have some in the same bed where I grow Calochortus, for instance, and they get moderate moisture from October through about mid-April. Just because a plant can survive brutal conditions, that doesn't mean it needs them. Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA On 8/1/2021 7:16 PM, Diane Whitehead via pbs wrote: > I grow and flower several Leucocoryne species, but I water them. > > I have lots of pots of various other species that seldom flower, so it is the ones Lee wrote about that are kept dry for two years that interest me. Are there some I grow that I shouldn’t be watering? > > > Diane > > > > > Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada > cool mediterranean climate warm dry summers, mild wet winters 70 cm rain, sandy soil > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>