Bulbs!

[Melt in the Sun]

Here are a few of the Lachenalia blooms from this year. These are easy to grow, a little thirsty in winter, and rewarding in all their tiny glory. Some of mine are offsetting rampantly, so may get tucked into raised beds once they go dormant this spring.

L. bulbifera


L. viridiflora


L. mutabilis


L. splendida

[Spination]

Thanks for posting this thread and those pictures. Having known nothing about these previously, and seeing they are also South African plants, winter growers, with aloe-like flowers (especially Pic 1), they look like they would be fun to grow with a great payoff in terms of those wonderful floral displays, coming to life when so many other plants are taking their winter break.
Those green flowers on the second one are really fantastic, not to mention the Manfreda-like spotted leaves. What a great looking plant! Drooool!

[Spination]

Just wanted to say thanks again for starting this thread. It took a while, but with patience I was able to get my hands on some very tiny Lachenalia viridiflora bulbs and they are poking some shoots out of the shallow planting in a small pot. The seller had put me on a list and these are from a new South African shipment arrival. I had no idea those green beauties you pictured are so rare and hard to get, and I can really appreciate how nice yours are all the more, aside from those fantastic photos! One source I read online mentions viridiflora as the most rare of the Lachenalias.
I'm barely giving them any water, because as I understand it, they should be about ready to be going dormant for the summer, and I don't want to rot them so quickly after I got them! At least with a little green and a little photosynthetic activity before dormancy, I can hope for the bulbs to get a tiny bit bigger before they go sleeping the summer away.

2015 05 11 Lachenalia viridiflora a.JPG (216.82 KiB) Viewed 3571 times

[Melt in the Sun]

Good luck! Mine have gone dormant already...maybe a month ago, but we are much hotter here I think. I have a bunch more pictures I should post.

[Agavemonger]

Wow, Danny! Those are really exquisite!!

I agree with Tom about the greenies: Magnificent in their turquoise iridescence!

Give us some mo pics!!

The Monger

[Melt in the Sun]

OK fine, here are some more...I think I still have a bunch on the actual camera, too.

Scilla peruviana, just getting started:


and finishing up. Not a real big bloom, but it's still a fairly young plant.


L. orchioides v. glaucina


same plant, further along


L. carnosa, pretty unimpressive this year


Ipheion uniflorum 'Rolf Fiedler'


Albuca batteniana, just emerging


And, almost ready. I have full bloom pictures on the real camera...I think. Huge white albuca-type flowers.


Not technically a bulb, but it grows just like one...Ferraria crispa. Smells like rotten vanilla.

[Agavemonger]

Boy, those are all really nice; a most excellent collection!

Thanks, Danny!

Quite beautiful to look at on a RAINY CALIFORNIA DAY (headed your way!)

The Monger

[Luc]

Do you keep all your Lachenalia outside all the year or do you protect them ? I've tried L. aloides but it has passed away with just a little freeze.
Ipheion uniflorum grows like a weed in my garden but I'm happy, it's a really cool plant which reseed itself and I try to preserve new seedlings when I uses the lawn mower.

[Melt in the Sun]

They have endured minor frost, which is all that our winters have produced the past 2 years. I planted lots of divisions in the garden this spring, so we will get a chance to see how tough they are this winter.

[Melt in the Sun]

Not all that much to look at...typical Albuca flowers. But, it's odd that A. hallii flowers in the middle of summer, with no leaves on the plant!