Re: Crinum was: Persian Shield (Strobilanthes)

Donna - see others have given you some info.  This is a bulb I have long
lusted for and will have one of these days.  They are truly magnificent
when they get established.

NCSU has  a very nice set of pages on growing bulbs with this one devoted
to Crinum.  Basic information and some nice photos...might help you:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/fbasp/fbasp.htm

The pages on the site 'The Genus Crinum (Amaryllidaceae)'  -
http://www.crinum.org/  -  contain extensive information on the genus as
well as photographs for identified subgenus and hybrids.  Some of the
entries have cultural notes in addition to botanical ones.  This would be a
good place to go to identify yours when they bloom.  Click on the first
link on the page - The Genus Crinum (Amaryllidaceae) descriptions and
photographs.  The page also contains other links to more information on the
web  - I have not followed these, but some may be of use to you.

The International Bulb Society also has a considerable list of images of a
wide variety of Crinums:

http://www.bulbsociety.com/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Crinum/Crinu
mlist.html

(if that link breaks onto two lines, it has to be copied and pasted to
work)

Southerngardening.com has an article on Crinum that I found interesting,
esp. the part about planting very deeply to avoid the bulb splitting into
pups...may be of interest to you:

http://southerngardening.com/l&g/lg980709.htm

Most sources I've seen say that the hardier varieties of Crinum are only
hardy to zone 8 (Tony Avent rates most of his offerings on Plant Delights
as 7-10).  [Jim, you really are pushing the envelope in z. 5 - gives me all
sorts of encouragement:-)] I have seen a magnificent stand of an unknown
(to me) variety at Green Springs Garden Park near Annandale, Virginia -
about 15 miles south of me - so I know they can be grown in this area.  If
my memory serves me (getting more and more doubtful each day) Don Humphrey,
who used to be in charge of this garden, told a group of us drooling over
that stand of Crinum that he let the foliage lay when frost knocked it down
to help protect the bulbs over winter and that they were planted very
deeply - 18"?.  This stand was also planted against a building wall in an
area that appeared to receive shade for a part of the day, but was mostly
sunny.  I think the farther south you are, the more shade they would
probably tolerate and still bloom, but these are not woodland plants.

Something that I didn't realize until I did a bit of web digging, thinking
of this genus as a bulb and thinking most bulbs crave excellent drainage,
is that there are species in this genus that grow in swamps and some that
are used in aquariums.  One of the native Crinums  (C. americanum) is
called the bog lily.  A native of Texas but also endemic to parts of
Florida, it grows in marshy ground (hardy only to z. 8 or 9-10 depending on
source for info. but if surviving Jim's z. 5, obviously worth trying in
colder zones.)  There's another boggy ground lover, Crinum erubescens (
Swamp Lily ), that spreads by rhizomes to make large clumps...Tony Avent
calls it "One of the classic passalong plants of the deep south" and says
it 's easier to grow than C. americanum.  Wonder if that's the one you've
got?

 Since I'm quoting Tony's Crinum section....will copy and paste the intro.;
esp. liked the last sentence:-)

"Crinum lilies are a truly classic southern passalong plant. Crinums thrive
for hundreds of years at abandoned home sites where daffodils have long ago
turned up their toes. The giant clumps of bold tropical lily-like foliage
make an imposing architectural statement in the garden. In summer, the
clumps are adorned with an array of pink to white flower types...usually
fragrant. Crinums are extremely adaptable...either in dry or in boggy
soils. Think of crinum lilies as a horticultural IRA for you(r) grand kids
to remember you by. "

http://www.plantdel.com/catalogs/plantdel/plantdel.p45.xtml/#2/206

I truly envy you your inheritance of these marvelous bulbs...grow and
enjoy!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
current article:Vines - Part 6 - More Ivy Plus
http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
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----------
> From: James & Donna Davis <dsdavis@INTOP.NET>
> Date: Thursday, October 28, 1999 2:13 PM
>
> Marge
>
> I just discovered what I believe to be  "Crinums"   (a lily and also  a
> member of the amaryllis family  I understand).
> I have not been able to get much info on them.  I did go to Suite 101,
> there is an article,  but doesn't give much info there.   Wondering if
> you could give me a lead as to where I might find something about this
> plant.
> Got them at the old house that belonged to my husbands grandparents,
> built over a 100 years ago.  I didn't know what there were until I
> noticed an article in one of my magazines
>
> Donna  in  NE Mississippi    zone 7
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