Re: Growing Cyclamen etc (was Top Ten List)

Michael Barclay wrote:
> 
>         Dear Moira,                             11/28/99
> 
>         I'd love some down to earth tips on locating and growing species
>         cyclamen.  They do well in the San Francisco Area.  The only other
>         bulbs which are truly perennial are some narcisscus clones. and
>         a few species tulips.
> 
>         I would love to naturalize erythroniums in my woodland, and also
>         lilies but both groups disappear in a year or two and never
>         naturalize.  I'm afraid I keep my garden too acid and too moist
>         for most bulbs which by their very nature seem to want it dry
>         when it's dry.
> 
>         My rhodies, camellias and other woodland trees & shrubs want it
>         relatively moist all the time, not boggy but definitely don't
>         want a summer baking.  Any suggestions from the groups you
>         sound so familiar with?
> 
>         
Hi Michael

I don't think I can be a great deal of good to you about locating
sources of Cyclamen, except to suggest you try specialist bulb
nurseries. In New Zealand, where they seem to do very well, by going to
two or three of these nurseries one can get almost every listed
cultivated species, even rarities like C rohlfsianum.

I find the genus enormously rewarding, as it is possible to have at
least one species in flower at almost any time of year, including
through winter. and some have lovely leaves for much of the year too.

Two really easy ones to start with are CC hederifolium and coum. The
former, sometimes known as C neapolitanum, is the toughest of all and
will grow almost anywhere which is not baked in summer. In very hot
climates it may survive with a protective covering of leaf litter. It
apparantly has been grown successfully mulched even with pine needles or
eucalyptus leaves. 

It is particularly happy growing around the base of trees, especially
deciduous ones, though it will even grow happily under conifers. It will
do well among most evergreens, such as rhodos, provided it gets at least
some winter sun. In my garden has also come up in cracks in paths and
other unsuitable and unexpected places (where it may have been
transported by ants, attracted by a sugary mucilage around the seeds).
It self-seeds with enormous generosity, very often right on top of the
mother corm and the baby corms can be spread around as much as you like,
often reaching flowering size in as little as two years. Even big
established ones don't object to being dug up and shifted any time of
year (and big they can grow, tubers 24cm across have been recorded). it
seems not to be fussy about soil as long as drainage is`good and is
apparently quite indifferent to the pH. 

One peculiarity of this particular species is that almost all the roots
form on the UPPER side of the tuber, while the base is smooth and
rootless. Beginners have been know to plant it upside down, which is
disastrous. Unlike potted florist cyclamen, the corms of this and other
wild species should be completely buried, but shallowly. A topping of
leafmould, renewed annually would be appreciated.

C hederifolium's flowers (white, or one of several pink shades) appear
in late summer before the new leaves grow and these persist for up to 10
months before the plant momentarily vanishes underground.

 C coum complements it by flowering through winter. This is almost a
tough as hederifolium, but particularly likes its drainage sharp, so if
you have heavy clay it is worth working in some sand and gravel to a
depth of about 20cm for its pleasure.
This comes in pale pinks and white with a pink nose and also a
particularly vivid very deep cyclamen pink. All these colours will
self-seed if happy.

Both these species are really good value, as they produce numerous
flowers per corm, which persist a number of weeks and they also have
those  striking ornamental leaves. They look best planted in big drifts,
but because they self-seed so freely one can start with just a few and
soon work up to a good show. I began my C hederifolium family with just
one pink and one white corm and these must have multiplied to several
hundreds through the years with interesting variations both in colour
and leaf patterns.

Although some of the other species are quite easy to grow, they
certainly require a bit more specialzed care and apart from C graecum
(which likes a summer baking and grows in my rockery)I do not have mine
in the open garden, but some are in individual pots and others grouped
in large shallow bowls which stand under my grape trellis protected by a
clear plastic roof.

Before attempting any of these I suggest you try to read a book on the
subject. I particularly recommend The Genus Cyclamen by Christopher
Grey-Wilson. This is a Kew Monograph and was published in the US in 1988
by Timber Press.

Its information is comprehensive and still very current and the colour
plates (from paintings) are both exquisite  and informative. In fact
positively mouth-watering!!

Regarding other bulbs. I am surprised you have not had success with
Erythroniums. I have never done well with E dens-canis, but many
American species, particularly revolutum, californicum, White Beauty and
the hybrid  yellow Pagoda have naturalized in a shady border among small
Rhodos and other woodland plants and return faithfully every year. I 
cannot see why they should not be happy in your moist woodland
conditions as they certanly do not demand summer baking.

As to the bulbocodium daffodils. I find that the French species, such as
monophyllum, seem not to mind a pretty moist summer, as they flower and
reproduce well among thickly-mulched roses in a partly shaded bed, but
some of the North african species, such as roumieuxii do prefer a dry
site in summer. One of my best doers however, is one probably not
available to you, a pale yellow bred in NZ and known as Pandora. This
will not only flower well in partial shade, but also multiplies without
breaking into small non-flowering "pups" as some of the small golden
species do. The one whose pic I sent to Gary's garden (bulbocodium var
vulgaris genuinus - I think) is about the most attractive golden sort,
being both large-flowered and a reliable bloomer, which can survive in
partial shade.

If you really want a species daffodil which actually _demands_ a moist
growing site you should try N cyclaminius (the original species). I have
this in the same border as the Erythroniums and it not only comes up
faithfully every year, but steadily multiplies.

Hope this is the sort of information you wanted, but do enquire further
if there are any points which seem to need clarifying.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
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