Re: CULT: Companion Plants-Zephyrantes

From: hipsource@aol.com

Greetings.

I had a note asking me about hardiness in the Zephyr lilies so I decided I'd 
haul out a couple of books and see what the story was on these charming bulbs.

To answer my own question, the RHS Index of Garden Plants lists 22 species 
and numerous synonyms. 

The ones one sees most often, atamasca, white or pink, are rated here only to 
USDA zone 8. Candida, also seen here, is rated Z9. The yellows, flava, 
citrina, pulchella, smallii and pusilla are said to be Z9 or 10. Most of them 
see to be native to Mexico, South America and Cuba, but atamasca and treatiae 
are native to the SE USA, brazosensis and pulchella to the Southern USA, and 
longifolia, which is yelow with a coppery outside (Z8) is native to Texas and 
New Mexico. The Phillips and Rix Bulbs book, (big Random House paperback, you 
know the series) has only candida included, which seems pretty cheesy when 
you consider how they went to to town with, say, the alliums. The index to 
their Indoor and Greehouse Plants  vol 1 (same series), refers me to vol 2 of 
same where they are not found. So no pix.

At some time I shall see about plodding through some specialized literature 
but for the nonce, it would appear that Zone 7 is about as hardy as they come 
and most of them won't begin to be hardy there. In Z9 you can grow a lot of 
them, but by that point your choice of irises becomes more limited, so the 
question of companion plants begins to answer itself.

Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com



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