The Bulb Maven

Oxalis obtusa

Oxalis obtusa is a wonderful species, with the widest range of color imaginable, yellow, all shades of orange from buff to deep copper, white, many shades of pink, but best of all some have color combinations that are very striking.  The petals are usually veined with a deeper color than the background, and there is a central ring that can be a completely different color. Here to the left are O. obtusa 'Elizabeth', and O. obtusa 'Blush'.  I have one species that is distinctly fragrant, the lovely O. obtusa 'Polished Copper' seen here to the right.

All of the Oxalis obtusa color varieties produce an abundance of flowers, and most mutiply readily.  I am gradually producing new color combinations from random seeding.  Yes, I do get seeding on my O. obtusas because I have so many different clones, but seed production is usually rare in the South African Oxalis species.  Here are a few more:

Since I have 40 different O. obtusa colors listed on the web site, it is impossible to post pictures of all of them here, so check out the pictures on the web site:  www.telosrarebulbs.com.

 

 

There is a sub-group within O. obtusa that produce very large flowers.  I have listed two the in past as O. obtusa Large Form (a very dull name!), and I will be listing more.  The flowers are up to two inches across (5cm), and are often marked on the back with red or purple striations.  Here are a few below:

 

Some of these large form O. obtusa have been listed in the past as O. comosa, and an orange flowered one is still marketed under that incorrect name.  O. comosa is quite different, with lavender flowers and tall branched stems.

There are now 125 different Oxalis species listed on the web site, and the Oxalis pages are now current for 2012, so whether you want to order or just enjoy the visual feast, check out the pictures.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

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.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

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.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

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.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

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.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

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.

 

www.telosrarebulbs.com

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.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

Oxalis obtusa

Here in northern California, February marks the peak of the season for Oxalis obtusa.  This is my favorite Oxalis species, with its fantastic range of color, neat habit and profuse blooms.  The flowers are often heavily veined, usually in a contrasting color, and many color forms have a deeply colored eye ring.  Some, like the lovely O. obtusa 'Polished Copper', are even scented like violets.  The bulbs are small and wrinkled with a hard shell.  Most species multiply well, and I have never heard of O. obtusa becoming a pest.

Above is the beautiful O. obtusa 'Elizabeth', and below is a gallery of different color forms. 

For a more see the web site:  www.telosrarebulbs.com.  The Oxalis section of the web site is current for the year 2010.

My apologies about the formatting.  Whatever I do, my pictures seem to rearrange themselves when I publish my post.

Oxalis - What's New?

We are almost at the height of Oxalis season in the greenhouses, and I have the pleasant task of roaming up and down the rows, deciding which species I will list this year.  Choosing the species to list always involves a little guesswork, since I don't really know how many bulbs there are until they are harvested.  Some species will produce a large bouquet of leaves and flowers from a single bulb, and I can be mislead into thinking that there are more bulbs in the pots than actually exist.

Most species listed last year will still be available, but I have a few exciting new additions, plus some species that have been building up stocks that were available in past years but not recently.  Not all oxalis multiply rapidly, and some need a couple of years off to build up numbers so that I can list them again.  To the left is the beautiful Oxalis obtusa that I have been unable to list every year since it is more challenging to grow and does not multiply that rapidly.  In the past it was called Yellow & Red (a pretty dull name, I confess).  I will be listing it as 'Firebird' this year.

I have at least two other Oxalis obtusa color forms that are new this year.  To the left is a very large flowered form called 'Damask Rose'.  The flowers are a very unusual dusky rose color, and the flowers are about 4cm across.   To the right is a stunning new Oxalis obtusa called 'Blush', with large heavily veined flowers.

Oxalis cathara, seen below to the left, is another new introduction.  It has very large white scented flowers with a deep yellow center, and lovely feathery grey leaves.  It is a rare species, and I don't have many bulbs, so it will be in limited supply.  The flowers stay open well into the evening, indicating a night-flying pollinator, and they also open on dull overcast days.

A rare double form of Oxalis purpurea will be on the list.  It is listed as O. purpurea 'Ruffles'.  Here it is below and to the right.

I have grown Oxalis densa for some time, but never had enough to list.  This year I will have a limited supply.  It is a small compact Oxalis with grey leaves and white flowers, striped red a purple on the outer petal.  It stays in bloom for a long time.  Here it is to the left. 

Back by popular demand is the beautiful Oxalis inaequalis.  It has the tiniest succulent leaves, only about 3-4mm in diameter, but sends up huge copper colored flowers on long stems.  The bulbs are as tiny as the leaves.  Here it is. 

There will be many more additions, so stay tuned, or check the web site.  It is being gradually updated, and will soon be completed for 2010.

www.telosrarebulbs.com  

Oxalis gracilis

This lovely species stands alone, with tall wiry stems that look like polished mahogany.  They can reach 30cm in length, and are topped with clusters of beautiful soft orange flowers.  The bulbs of O. gracilis are very different from most Oxalis bulbs.  They are large and soft, with only a very fragile thin tunic, and look like they are composed of scales, like a lily bulb.  This species is one of the earliest to bloom.  Here In California they start into growth in the Fall and bloom well before Christmas.  The large bulbs multiply relatively slowly.

www.telosrarebulbs.com