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Pretty crinum

18 years ago

A friend gave me this crinum (there are two bulbs here, each having about 10 flowers). Is there any way to figure out which one this might be?

{{gwi:416780}}

Comments (15)

  • 18 years ago

    They're very beautiful! I don't know Crinum varieties well enough to guess at which one this might be... so, hopefully, the links below will give you the answer you seek.

    http://www.crinum.us/

    Copy and paste the link above into your browser... this is a very good website about Crinum... the link below has a very good variety listing for most bulbs, Crinum included.

    I'd be interested in know which one it is, myself... I find Crinum to be a very lovely flower, even though it's a bit large for container cultivation.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bulb Society - Crinum Listing

  • 18 years ago

    Thanks, jodik. Not sure that I will find an answer. The crinum.us links says:

    Identification of Crinum varieties is very difficult until the blooming bulb has been observed in the garden or greenhouse. Digital photography is assisting with identification in that pictures can be taken and compared with the actual scape, umbel, foliage, and flower of a known cultivar in real time. Even then, controvery can exist as many hybrids have not been well documented or the documentation is not available to the public.

    I think I'll just have to be content with it being pretty and mildly fragrant! I have it in a pot now, but will be transplanting it to an in ground location come fall. I just have to decide where ....

  • 18 years ago

    I would suggest a sheltered location next to a house or garage... somewhere the plant will get plenty of sunlight, but have a bit of protection from cold and winds during winter. I'm not certain which, but I do know that some varieties are hardier than others. I would also add a nice thick layer of mulch around it, taking care not to mulch too close to the crown of the plant.

    I would probably plant it out as soon as possible, and not wait for fall... this will give the bulb a good chance to establish a decent root system before the weather gets cool, which will help it survive in case of poor winter weather.

    Crinum are very beautiful flowers, but very large, for the most part... I'd love to grow a couple of the different varieties, but they're too large for the space I have. What a pity...

  • 18 years ago

    Thanks for your tips, jodik, especially about planting it earlier in the year. I see crinums growing in yards all around here and the extra protection doesn't seem as required in the south. However, it doesn't hurt to be cautious and I do have an area next to the sunny side of the house that would be a good place.

  • 18 years ago

    It never hurts to be protective of the plants we really like! With the way the weather has been lately, you never know... we could have an extra cold winter, and it would be a shame to lose such a beautiful bulb simply because it was planted either too late, or in too open an area. Zone 7 is one of those "iffy" areas!

    Here in zone 5, frost heave and other issues can kill a plant easily, so I try to get all of my planting done as early as possible... that way, the plants have a chance to establish good root systems before the cold sets in. I try to use a decent layer of mulch for protection, and I look for rather sheltered areas to plant my favorite items.

    You may not have to be so careful in your southern garden, but it doesn't hurt!

  • 18 years ago

    After looking around a bit, I'd say your Crinum is most likely a relative of the bulb known affectionately as "Milk & Wine" Crinum. The actual Milk & Wine has crisper stripes in darker colors, but I would think yours is definitely related.

  • 18 years ago

    jodik, you are so nice to follow up for me. I did Google "milk and wine" images and they look quite similar - I'd say you are right. What is confusing are the names that people associate with "milk and wine" crinum. A couple of sources say Crinum x herbertii , a couple say Crinum zeylanicum, some say Crinum scabrum, but most pages don't even try to come up with a botanical name!

    I think there is a lot of confusion with these passalong favorites. Well, I don't mind just enjoying them, and I'm glad to just call them "milk and wine" lilies.

  • 18 years ago

    Check out the website link below... this site has lots of good information on the different Crinums... it looks like "Scabrum" is the species name associated with the type you have...

    I wish there were more dwarf varieties to choose from... currently, there's only the one... those, I could possibly grow... they'd have to be in pots so I could bring them in for winter.

    It's not like I have a lot of room for any, really... my hippi collection takes up a lot of space! But... bulbs are addictive! :-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Amaryllids in Cultivation

  • 18 years ago

    Do a gardenweb search for crinums. Conroe Joe posted a while back on the Texas forum. There is a lady here in Texas that hybridizes them. She has a great website with lots of photos. We call yours milk and wine. There are several different ones with Milk and Wine as their common name. They can take up to 3 years to bloom after transplanting. Appear to go dormant in more northern climates-mine never have here so I'm not any help on that. I've had them bloom within weeks of transplanting and others not bloom for years after transplanting. I'm forever digging them from cemetaries, abandoned houses, construction sites, ditches.....
    Tally HO!

  • 18 years ago

    Marcelle's Crinum!

    A truly wonderful site and a marvelous lady!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Follow the link...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Marcelle's Crinum

  • 18 years ago

    Wonderful website is right! Thank you for posting the link, Elizabeth! Gosh, I sure wish Crinum were available in more dwarf varieties... it's really a lovely plant! I see that there are a select few that are about the size of a hippeastrum... but after looking around a bit, Hannibal's Dwarf seems to be the only one that's available anywhere.

    With all of my window space taken up by orchids and hippis, I really shouldn't be thinking about starting a new plant collection! Crinum are tempting, though... maybe just one...

  • 18 years ago

    Yes, that is a nice website. I enjoyed exploring it and it has good links to others.

    I guess I have two bulbs in this pot that my friend gave me. Each one put up a stalk and tonight I noticed that one of them is making another stalk! Each stalk ended up having about 12-13 blooms on it.

    I look forward to having this beautiful plant for years to come (I hope). You'll have to try a dwarf, jodi, just to round out your collection!

  • 18 years ago

    Wow! 12 to 13 flowers is a lot... especially when compared to Hippeastrum, which only produce an average of 4 flowers per scape! The most blooms I've gotten from one of my Hippeastrums is 7... a "Rapido" bulb I have put out 7 blooms on one scape, and 5 on the other, if I remember correctly. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least!

    I'll probably end up getting a dwarf Crinum to add to my collection... while most of my bulbs are Hippeastrums, I do have some others... Sprekelia, Scadoxus, Zephyranthes, Lycoris radiata, Rhodophiala bifida... to name a few.

    The problem is finding indoor space to keep all these beauties during the colder months! I'm out of window space, and my next course of action is to purchase some decent grow lights, so all of my plants can be kept growing and happy!

    I know I won't be able to resist for long... I'll most likely add a dwarf Crinum to the collection long before the snow flies!

  • 18 years ago

    Your crinum is a crinum x herbertii. The color can vary from light pink/red to a dark shade.

  • 18 years ago

    you can put them in ground now and want have to worry.i planted the same(looking) one a few weeks ago and they're fine.have a few more sitting in a big flowerpot saucer on far back for two years with no dirt and they have even bloomed.they're not only pretty,they're tough. wish they'd clump faster.......patricia

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