Chasmanthe
- To: Mediterranean Climate Gardening e-mail forum <m*@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: Chasmanthe
- From: M* M* <m*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 11:41:23 -0800
Tim wrote:
>Anyone out there grow
>S. African chasmanthe spp? If so what do they think of
their hardiness
>levels, cultivation requirements, garden-worthiness?=20
>
>I've got young unflowered plants of several spp. Those
under glass
>are doing fine. Those in the ground are not. They're alive,
just, but
>looking as though they wished they weren't.
I have Chasmanthe aethopica (red/yellow) and Chasmanthe
floribunda ducktii (yellow). At my house they start to take
frost damage in the mid-20sF, with flower spikes killed back
first and then leaves damaged. C. ducktii seems to be the
less hardy of the two.
These are nice winter-growing bulbs with spikes of tubular
flowers, reaching to about 3 feet. in height. They take
some summer water (although it's not required) and nauralize
very easily for me. They can become a little bit invasive
in the garden. They'll crowd out small or delicate plants
if you let them, and they seed around pretty heavily.
Mike
San Jose, CA (zone 9, min temp 20F)
