Lovely photos, Donna! I agree with you. That fragrant, striped heirloom from North Carolina is a winner.

Cheers,

Blanca

Hi Everyone, If anybody is interested in any selfed seeds from this NC fragrant bulb, I have 4 seedpods that should be ready in a week or two. I'm going to send them to Maria, but there will be plenty of seeds if anyone should want some. I am growing a few from the last bulb that bloomed so I don't need any more. Email me if you're interested! These flowers are fragrant, after the flower is out for a few days the scent comes in.

Donna

Here are the progeny of selfed seeds from the NC fragrant bulb, growing in another part of world:

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Izhar

Hello Izar!

I'm thrilled that the seedlings are doing so well for you! One always wonders when they spend so much time in the mail...what the conditions will do to the seeds. I have 8+/- of these bulbs and they are all doing splendidly...nice broad thick green leaves...lets hope this trait as well as the beautiful flowers and fragrance are passed on to it's progeny! Mine have all been outside in the hot sun for the summer, kept on the dry side in clay pots, regularly fertilized and they love it!! I only kept about 10+ of these seeds and mine are doing well also.

I appreciate your posting your picture, and I hope they continue to do well for you as well as all your other seeds!

Donna

Mine are in full sun with afternoon shade, they are quite variable like some of them are still sprouting and some are forming their second leaf, I will let them grow in this pot for the next month then transplant into individual pots, I can grow them outside all year round :), I will post new pics when they will get ready for transplanting.

Izhar

Donna,

Beautiful blooms :) They look so good! I really really like Estrela, I love the green throat and the perfect white stripping :)

Josh

Yeah that last one from NC is amazing! Good growing!

Thanks Guys......

Awesome pictures! I am new to growing hippeastrum, but have recently learned that in my zone (central FL) they can grow as landscape plants! I grew up in the northwest, so that is just astounding. Next time you have some seeds from the NC plant Donna, I would love some. I am creating new garden beds this year and am seeking out heirloom bulb varieties to include.

Hi Sun Worshiper,

I will be more that glad to send you some seeds the next time I get a bloom....the last time I had 3-4 pods chock full of seeds....all given away now, but there will be more! I sure do envy your being able to leave them in the ground all year...........

Donna

Thanks Donna. Just send me an email next time you have some. I'm happy to pay the postage=)

I have had a lot of fun this year playing landscape designer with my yard. There are so many amazing things that grow here. A totally different gardening experience than anywhere else I've ever lived.

Today I transplanted the seedlings (eighteen total) in their individual pots, thought I share their pics. The largest is 8" long and the smallest is 5":

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Izhar

Izhar!

How wonderful that they are growing so well for you. I do hope that the fragrance is passed on...I hope you end up with a few that look just like the parent plant. And, it was wonderful of you to post the pictures. Your seedlings are actually doing much better than the few I kept, they are growing but are considerably smaller than yours...they must love the hot sun!

Best,

Donna

...if they grow at this pace then I may have blooms by next season, hopefully...

Will take & post more pics in future...

Izhar

Donna, that NC Noid you have sounds wonderful. What would I ask for to get one like it? I don't use Ebay myself, so do you know where else I could find one? Thanks!
Michelle

Michelle,

Last year someone dug several clumps of these fragrant red and white bulbs from their yard in North Carolina and sold them in lots on Ebay. This gal sold a few dozen bulbs, all sizes and all were healthy. I bought 2 lots and have given a few away. The 3 that I have given away were average sized and all I have left (other than the ones I wish to keep for myself, are very small) I have already re-potted my remaining bulbs so I wouldn't want to un-pot them now to send you one, but I will keep you in mind when they go dormant again next year and definitly save one for you. In the mean time if I see them offered again on Ebay, I will let everyone know so if they're interested they can buy some. I only had 2 of the bulbs that bloomed for me and one was superior to the other, but that bulb was huge and that was the one that I liked the flowers from the most, that is the one pictured in the above thread, it was to die for. The flowers weren't huge I'd say about 5to 5 1/2" and a moderate height. Both bulbs were fragrant, and I sent Alana one also last year, and I think hers was fragrant too if I remember correctly. A very strong sweet smell..you could smell it in the room without sticking your nose directly in the flower. I think this is an heirloom bulb and I haven't been able to find a name for it. The closest I have come to it is 'Norma Roberts' and I don't think that is what these are. I have 3-4 very small bulbs that I would like to grow further before I give them away. If you're still interested next fall I will send you one.

I always keep an eye on Ebay because you never know when someone will just dig something from their yard.. down south not knowing what they are, possibly being an heirloom bulb, and they always post a picture and you can make your own decisions as to what they are. Sometimes they are just Minerva types and sometimes you can find a gem. Just look at the heirloom bulb that Kristi found in Texas, which she has named Gordie...Hers is the best find ever, and I keep hoping to see on like that on Ebay...you never know...I'm always looking...

Donna

Hi, Donna.
That would be great if you could keep me in mind for one of those bulbs for next fall (or whenever they decide to go dormant). Actually, next fall is probably better anyway, as I have acquired enough bulbs this fall that I'm out of space for now in my kitchen greenhouse window (the indoor area where I grow my hippies). Some of them will go outdoors come warmer weather, so that should give me more space again. And, as I said, I don't use Ebay, so even if I knew someone was selling something interesting, I'm not set up to try to buy it. So, your offer is much appreciated! Thanks!
Michelle

Yup, mine was fragrant too! What's amazing about that bulb is that it's not fragrant initially - it kicks in later. But when it does, it's really strong. I had put that bulb in a pot with a few others and couldn't figure out where that sweet scent was coming from as I walked by. I've got some seedling crosses from it with Moonlight. I'm looking forward to it blooming again this spring - will self it for sure!

Donna, did you say the person selling them dug them from their yard? As in they left them out over the winter? {{gwi:416862}}From Spring 2010

Alana

Hi Alana,

Gorgeous picture, I'm so glad it did so well for you...and yes they dug them from their yard, in NC !!

One of these pictures was from the listing on Ebay and the other the gal was nice enough to send to me. As you can see, they were growing happily outside, tucked in close tho the steps and foundation...I have a feeling she dug them ALL up and sold them all...

It might just be my imagination.. but the flowers on the bulb that the above posted pictures were from seem even nicer that the others. Might just be my imagination, the white looks crisper and the red lines more even. As I say, it might just be my imagination, as my first bulb that bloomed looked just like yours, all fragrant though..The flowers posted above where from my largest bulb, sure hope I marked it, as I have several large ones now....Another think I love about this bulb is that the stem isn't too tall...

Donna

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Your heirlooms are luscious. And they are scented too...WOW!

Why would should have dug all those and sold them? That seems like it would be SUPER depressing?!?

They're beautiful, I wish my climate allowed for that, could you imagine our yards??????

Donna, I guess I didn't see the original picture that the woman sent you - or it just didn't sink in that she kept these bulbs outside. Do you know where in NC she was? Plants Delight (just outside Raleigh) sells Ackermanii and Voodoo as perennials for this area. I might try a bulblet of this one tucked close to my front porch. They grow so well straight in the ground too! I'd love to have a big old bunch of them.

Alana

Alana,

Do you grow anything in the ground where you are now? I've heard reports of people in zone6 growing xjohnsonii in the ground, all mine are a bit too small to try it out! I did plant some Amaryllis belladonna and some Amarcrinum in the ground here this summer, we'll see what happens!

Alana, perhaps as your bulb gets bigger/more settled in, it will be fragrant from the beginning. I have another hippy that was sometimes fragrant, sometimes not, but this last time it bloomed (in November), it was consistently fragrant. Sadly, something wasn't right with it though. The stem was stunted and there was only one bloom. So, I'll be interested to see how it does next time. Hopefully, it will be as fragrant. It was WONDERFUL!
Michelle

Josh, I've had some belladonna in the ground for a few years, but just this last year I bought some Voodoos from Plants Delight to overwinter, and also left out some Red Lions. I've heard (mainly through Frank) that the Arboretum here successfully overwinters hybrids so I'll see how the Red Lions make out. Ironically it's been a really cold winter. I bought some supposedly "hardy Amaryllis" from Brecks to leave in the ground as well, but they were such cute minis I didn't have the heart to risk losing them, so I've lifted them each fall. I doubt that they're really any more hardy than any others but can't say for sure.

Michelle, I'll be anxious to find out how the Donna eBay bulb does this spring for me. I think the bulbs get stressed a bit when we ship them as well. I hope your bulb does well this spring also!

Alana

Donna, your NOID selfed seedling's first bloom, there are two more seedlings also producing scape, each forming two scapes:

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Hello Izar!

I am so pleased to hear from you and to see your seedlings from the seeds that I gave you blooming!! What a treat!! I must say that this looks almost Identical to the parent which was my EBay # 1. I will go through my pictures later and post a few that are identical to yours! I wonder if all your seeds will be identical to the parent?

Now I must ask if this was fragrant because the parent was particularly fragrant especially after the flowers have been out for a few days.

I don't think that I kept any of these seeds as I have several of these bulbs.

Donnaâºâºâº

P.S. I just reread this entire thread and I guess I did have a few of these seedlings. I will have to go and hunt for them. They must still be pretty small because I have no recollection of them!

This post was edited by dondeldux on Mon, Mar 31, 14 at 18:08

No fragrance till now, it bloomed yesterday... will sniff it tonight... it didnt bloomed in normal cycle, so i had to force it, the bulbs were very healthy and all the seedlings are vigorous growers....

In Feb this year, after two months of forcing:

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Two other siblings:

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Thanks for posting Izar. After seeing your first seedling bloom I thought they might be stable but they do produce variations in the selfed seedlings. Both # 2 and # 3 are very pretty also, good growing!! Which one do you like best and were any of them fragrant??

Donna

None was fragrant... all are so different that i cant decide... and all these are my babies...

thank you ssssooooo much for these beauties... some didnt bloomed this year... so surprises are also left for next year...

Izar, thanks for sharing! I am growing some of Donna's seedlings as well. Mine aren't blooming size yet, but really fun to see what kinds of variation I can look forward to!

Donna, I transferred my year old seedlings of ebay #1 from trays out into their in ground garden spot this spring. So they should size up nicely this growing season!

Very nice work y'all. Excellent NOID with scent.