The Bulb Maven

Oxalis flava

This is another species that has many different forms and colors.  We don't usually grow bulbs for the beauty of their leaves, but if Oxalis flava didn't bloom, it would be well worth growing just for the leaves.  Most forms have leaves that are like palm fronds, but the width of each leaflet varies a great deal, with some forms having wide leaves, other thin thready leaves, and some that are succulent.  The one pictured above is not identified so far, but obviously belongs to this group.  The leaves are like threads and are succulent.

My absolute favorite, though, is the pink form of Oxalis flava.  Not only are the flowers a lovely shade of pink, the leaves are wide and are glaucous, and as they emerge they are ruffled along the edge.  It is sometimes called O. lupinifolia, since the leaves look like those of a lupin.  As you can see, the flowers emerge before most of the leaves.

A close second to the pink form is the lavender form, also with wide leaflets that are a beautiful grey.  This one is much easier than the pink form and multiplies readily.

The many different yellow forms of Oxalis flava are not to be despised, though.  They are all lovely and have leaves that are usually narrow and succulent.  The variety Oxalis flava v. pectinaria has the narrowest leaves in my collection, with the same brilliant lemon yellow flowers.

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Happy New Year!

I will remember 2011 as a good year, full of new joys, and a testament to the adage that patience is a virtue, and that hard work has its rewards.

On the patience front was the blooming of some of my South African bulbs, the seed of which I had sown as long as fourteen years previously.  Fourteen years ago my life was vastly different.  I lived in a very different climate with temperatures that could be consistently above 100F for months at a time, and bulbs were a hobby but also a consuming passion.  My work was in the medical profession, and I shared my life with a partner.  Now I live in the cool coastal climate of northern California and the bulbs are my work, as well as my love.  I live a single life, which I enjoy a great deal, and I have a new passion, the sport of dog agility.  It is almost disorientating to look back, feeling as though the person who optimistically sowed those seeds was a different one than that of the present day.  Many of the changes in my life were not of my choosing, but life goes on, and there are rewards in store for us that we may never anticipate.  The blooming of my Boophone haemanthoides was the pinnacle of excitement on the bulb front, although Behria tenuiflora was a close second (this did not take fourteen years!).

On the more competitive front, my female Wire Fox Terrier, Hannah, won her first championship title in CPE agility in May, then went on to win a second championship in November.  While the first one was exciting, the second one was even more so, since it was at the largest trial we attend, and many of our friends were there to cheer us with our winning run.  Hannah loved it, and pranced and danced around to the applause and cheering.  What a ham! I should mention here, that when I got Hannah she was about ten months old, and was so terrified of the world that I could not even enrol her in a puppy class.  She was afraid of dogs, cars, noises, new situations and people.  It took a lot of both work and patience to bring her around, but she loved agility from the very first day.

Besides the trials, we had a wonderful trip to Oregon, hiking the mountains in the Bend region.  Here is a picture of Smith Rocks north of Bend.

And now we end the year with the Oxalis season well under way.  Here is the lovely Oxalis massoniana to the left and an unidentified Oxalis to the right.  The right handed one is clearly in the Oxalis flava group.

 

Happy New Year, and happy bulb growing in 2012.

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Oxalis hirta

There are several forms of this beautiful Oxalis.  I have four that are distinctly different.  All are characterized by tall stems clothed with clusters of hairy leaves, the flowers emerging from the erect stems.  The stems are usually rigid and often branch, reaching a height of up to 12" (30cm) in the species I grow.  The one to the left is the shortest, only about 8' (20cm) in height.  I do not have a subspecies or varietal name for this one, so it is listed on the web site simply as Oxalis hirta.  It is extremely floriferous, the flowers often completely hiding the foliage when it is in bloom.

Oxalis hirta 'Gothenburg' is seen to the right.  It grows about 12" (30cm), and has lovely lilac flowers with a distinct white eye.

I list another Oxalis hirta as O. hirta Lavender Form.  It is tall, and has distinctly lavender flowers and grey leaves. The bulbs are very large, up to 6cm in diameter.  Here it is to the left.

A real beauty is Oxalis hirta v. tubiflora.  I have mentioned this before as O. hirta v. longituba, since it came to me with this name, but I realize now that name is not valid.  It is tall also, and very floriferous.  The pink flowers have a very long tube, as can be seen in the photograph to the right.  The bulbs are huge, 5-7cm in diameter, and increase slowly, so I have not been able to list it so far.  Salter says that as you go north in the Cape Province, the tube of the corolla of O. hirta increases in length, so this must come from the northern regions.

Occasionally I read that Oxalis hirta is a trailing species, and should be grown in a hanging basket, but from the species I grow, all of which have rigid stems, I think this means they are not being grown in bright enough light, which will make them weak stemmed.  All are beautiful plants, with very attractive foliage and form, in addition to their lovely flowers.

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Fragrant Oxalis

I sometimes forget to check to see if the flowers of bulbs are fragrant, although some are so obvious one couldn't overlook them.  There are many members of the genus Oxalis that are quite fragrant, but being small and at foot or waist level, you usually need to pick up the pot to realize this.

 I have one Oxalis in my collection labeled Oxalis fragrans, seen here to the left.  This may not be the correct name, but this plant has been in circulation for quite a long time with that moniker.  It is indeed fragrant, and a pot can fill a room with its scent, a strong heavy scent like freesias.  The flowers open in the afternoon, and stay open into the evening, closing around midnight, quite oblivious to whether the sun is shining or not.  This probably indicates a night-flying pollinator. This is a wonderful Oxalis to bring into a room, scenting it in the evening hours.

 Oxalis cathara, a rare species from a restricted area of Namaqualand in South Africa, behaves the same way, and has a strong sweet scent.  Here it is to the right. 

One of the earliest blooming Oxalis is Oxalis commutata.  It can bloom as early as August, and has a sweet scent like baby powder.  It too is from the Cape Province of South Africa, and is seen here below and to the left. 

Oxalis obtusa is my favorite species, with its wonderful range of color and delicate veining of the petals.  When color is used to attract pollinators, scent seems superfluous, but I do have one O. obtusa in my collection that is scented like violets.  Here it is to the right.  In the catalogue it is called Oxalis obtusa Polished Copper. 

Another South African is Oxalis callosa, a beautiful species with purple flowers banded deep crimson in the throat.  It, too, has a sweet fragrance.  Here it is to the left.

Oxalis pocockiae, seen here below and to the right, has white flowers with a fragrance like fresh coconut.  It is also South African.  

South America has hundreds of Oxalis species, although most are not as showy as the South African ones, and many are not bulbous.  One that has been in cultivation for a very long time is Oxalis lobata, with masses of brilliant yellow flowers that are strongly scented like honey.  Here it is to the left. 

There are many others that are scented, and I have picked only the most obvious ones.  The late Michael Vassar thought that about half of the South African species have some scent, but I think he had a better nose than I do.  I will try this season to evaluate all of them for scent, and keep you posted.

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Oxalis pardalis

I have had this species in my unidentified group, but the Pacific Bulb Society says it is Oxalis pardalis, so I am taking their word for it.  The leaves emerge a deep burgundy red, and as they age the center of each leaf turns to a lovely sage green.

Another Oxalis blooming now that has been shy to bloom in the past is Oxalis smithiana.  the flowers are large, about 2.5cm across. 

Rain has arrived, so photographing more Oxalis will have to wait until the sun comes out.

 

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Oxalis

Oxalis season is well under way.  The weather this year is cooperating with one sunny day after another, inducing the Oxalis to open their beautiful flowers.  Last year we had continuous rain, not a great season for Oxalis.  Several new species are blooming, and I will post on them as they appear. 

To the left is the pretty little Oxalis attaquana.   The leaves are very distinct, and when I get a better picture, I will post it.  Each leaflet looks like a medieval battle ax.  To the right is Oxalis lichenoides, with the tiniest succulent leaves and large white flowers.

Oxalis inconspicua might sound rather uninteresting, but it is just as lovely as the most colorful species.  Here it is to the left.

Oxalis exerta, another new species for me, is seen to the right.

I believe the species to the left is Oxalis depressa, a species that Salter describes as 'polymorphic', not very helpful when you are trying to pin down the identity of an unknown Oxalis.  I have hesitated in the past to list Oxalis that are not accurately identified, but this is so lovely, I might distribute it next year.

I have many unnamed species of Oxalis, and I will post on some of them, perhaps in the hope that there is an Oxalis expert out there who might know what they are.  Identifying Oxalis is extremely difficult, the only monograph (which is very incomplete) having been published in 1944.  There seems to be some work going on now, so hopefully help is on the way. 

I apologize for the horrible formatting.  Whatever I do the pictures and text rearrange themselves when I publish.

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Hippeastrum aulicum

This beautiful Hippeastrum is from southern Brazil where it grows in forests on fallen trees and rocks.  It is often described as an epiphyte, and I thought it might be difficult to grow because of this, but I have found it remarkably easy.  My other ephiphytic species, like Pamianthe peruviana, I grow in an orchid mix, but Hippeastrum aulicum is grown in my usual mix of perlite, pumice and potting soil (about one third of each), and is not at all fussy or prone to fungal rots.

Since Hippeastrum aulicum blooms now, I have relied on it for Christmas gifts and decoration for Thanksgiving.  There is something very appealing about a Hippeastrum that will bloom in early winter.

There is a fair amount of variation in form, color varying from an almost ruby red to bright orange, and petals (or tepals) that are narrow or broad, sometimes wavy along the edges, and with variable amounts of streaking or netting present.  Some have given rise to cultivar names.  Here is my usual form to the right, and one with broader petals to the left that are strikingly netted.  They are all lovely, and will increase nicely if happy in their home.  I should add that I grow them in cool conditions since my greenhouses are not heated and the winter temperatures are only about 35-50F.  They flourish in these conditions, and I wonder how well they would do in warmer temperatures.

 

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Telos Rare Bulbs

The busiest part of the shipping season is over.  Orders have ground to a halt, and I can turn my attention to more pressing needs, getting the greenhouses ready for winter.  This is still a very busy time of year, since all the bulbs that are in storage must be replanted, and seeds of the winter-growing species are sown this time of year.  My two young helpers just finished repotting the Lachenalias, and I will spend time sowing seeds today.  I posted on seed sowing before, and this posting can be found when you scroll down 'Categories'.

I have been working on my warm greenhouse, doing mostly housekeeping chores, and it is a pleasure to walk in there now, with all the dead leaves removed from the plants, the pots all weeded, rows organized and floors swept.  This greenhouse holds most of the South American species, including the members of the Family Amaryllidaceae.  There are some South American bulbs, like Leucocoryne, that grow on a Mediterranean cycle, and these are grown along with the South African species in my Mediterranean greenhouse.  When I say it is a warm greenhouse, it is not actually heated at all.  I have a large bench with heating mats for the species that need warm night-time temperatures, since our nights here are cold even in summer, but the rest of the greenhouse has to handle our temperatures here, and they seem to do fine.  I have this greenhouse tightly closed up in winter, which will keep it at least ten degrees F. above the ambient temperature at night, and on sunny days it can still get quite warm.  We do get frost here, but usually no more than a couple of degrees, and the low temperature at night will only last for an hour or two. 

The South African members of the Family Amaryllidacea (like Boophone, Brunsvigia, Cyrtanthus, etc.) are also in this greenhouse.  During the busy shipping season things can get rather chaotic in this greenhouse, since none of these bulbs are stored dry for shipping, but are freshly unpotted, roots washed and packed in damp material, and shipped intact.  Removing roots from a bulb that keeps permanent roots year round, like the Amaryllids, will set it back severely, so if the roots are kept intact and not allowed to dry out, and the bulb planted right away, it will hardly know anything has happened to it.  This is incredibly labor-intensive.  I have some bulbs in individual pots, but others are planted together, since they need depth to develop properly, and that means tipping a pot out, selecting a good bulb, and putting the others back.  I once packed a large order of all Amaryllid species which took the better part of two days to extract, clean and pack.  The recipient (in Denmark) planted them as soon as she received them, and they did well.  Many nursery owners would think this is insanely inefficient, but I simply don't know how to do it any other way if I want to grow a bulb properly, and send it bare root.  I have some of the small seedling bulbs in small pots called bands, but they will not increase in size once put into these pots, so their use is limited.

My helpers and I are also working on the Mediterranean greenhouse, repotting Gladiolus, Lachenalia and Moraea.  We have finished the Oxalis section, and the native bulbs, such as Calochortus, are yet to be done.  In despair this summer I said I was discontinuing native bulbs, but this was in reaction to my losing all my lilies, most Erythroniums and nearly all my Fritillarias due to our cold, wet spring.  I have reconsidered, especially since I was able to get some lily seed this summer, so I am not giving up yet.

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The Morning Walkabout

I live on a country lane with four other houses and one street lamp.  The street lamp is right in front of my house, and I have often been told how 'lucky' I am to have it there.  I am not sure why this is lucky.  I am well aware where my front door is, and when I go out before dawn to retrieve my morning paper, it is casting a nauseous orange glow over my front garden, and I am therefore never able to enjoy my garden by moonlight.  I enjoy the darkness of night and the sparkle of the night sky. Moonlight is almost magical, but maybe in these modern times when folks are focused on their iPods and televisions, the romantic lure of a moonlit night has lost its charm. 

This morning there was a thin sickle moon and the stars were magnificent in the velvety black sky.  I noticed years ago when I lived in a very dry climate that the stars had a sparkle in the evening sky, but in the time before dawn they had a steady glow.  I have looked this up, and the sparkle is, apparently, from air turbulence, so there must be less of that in the cool of the morning. 

We have recently returned from a trip to the Sierras.  A very short trip, but we were able to get to a favorite lake to enjoy the autumn colors, the aspens seeming to radiate back the sunshine they had absorbed all summer long.  Of course, I forgot my camera, but here is a picture from a previous trip, although not in autumn.

This summer I had a new patio built.  My property is very windy, and not very warm, so I had the patio put in a rather awkward area that was never used for anything, and backed by a fence to block the wind.  It has been a great success, and I have taken to eating most of my meals outdoors now.  The whole family approves.

 

 

Work continues shipping bulbs, although it will start to taper off now.  This is welcome (and necessary) since many bulbs are starting to sprout in their storage trays and need to be replanted.  We have replanted all the Oxalis, and a few are even blooming now.  Here is the lovely Oxalis hirta v. longituba.

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Behria tenuiflora

This lovely Mexican species comes from Baja California, where it is fairly widespread, growing in the mountains all the way down to sea level.  I have sown seed of Behria tenuiflora four times.  Each time the seed germinated readily, but the bulbs broke dormancy very erratically, and few reached any size.  This last batch of seed was sown about three years ago, and finally I have a flower.  Perhaps I obtained a batch of seed from plants that are more suitable for my growing conditions, or maybe it was our recent hot spell that produced the flower.  The flower buds look like candy, with their bright orange and yellow stripes. 

Another Mexican species from the hot coastal regions of Oaxaca and Guerrero is Calochortus balsensis, also blooming well this year.  The brilliant yellow flowers are large, about 2" (5cm) across, and almost square.   Like some other Mexican Calochortus species, Calochortus balsensis makes bulbils in the leaf bracts, so hopefully I will be able to propagate it.

 

www.telosrarebulbs.com