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wantonamara

A long long wait for a bloom.

This Aztec lily ( Sprekelia formosissima) bloomed a couple of times , LIKE A DECADE AGO. One time it did two times in a year and then it turned off. You know how hard a plant mother that I am. I have moved it to a sunnier spot , but nada. I did spread compost around it this year and that seems to do the trick possibly. I did spread it thicker than normal because some other things have been looking not as good last year. Maybe between that and the extra water. So it is now on a more rigorous fertilizing schedule to see if I get a repeat bloom. I really do not want to move it. I have heard that they do not like moving. I have heard that they like full sun in a xeric setting, and I have heard they like a woodland setting. Sheesh! That is a difference of opinion. It did live through the BIG DROUGHT about 8' from where a grey water drain outlet. I get good scrappy leaves and no blooms till this year.

Have other's grown it and what is your soil like, annual precipitation, and your treatment of it? Have you had success with it blooming on a more frequent schedule?


Comments (11)

  • 10 years ago

    Mine didn't bloom much til it got crowded, but of course i practically neglect it. and the ones I moved from around the original don't bloom. I get maybe two sets of blooms a year. Let us know how the extra care does and I may have to stop neglecting mine. I do love the flowers.

    https://www.houzz.com/photos/april-blooms-phvw-vp~54721724

    wantonamara Z8 CenTex thanked abarbie4me2
  • 10 years ago

    Pretty photo.! Is yours in sun or shade. Does it get irrigation? What type of soil?

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I ran into these descriptions on DG. Not blooming is a common problem.

    "Thad Howard discovered a variation of the Aztec Lily in a garden in San Antonio, Texas that he called 'Orient Red' (also known as Harrison's Orient Red'. It was blooming in Autumn. He bought 10 or so for a nickel apiece and began growing them. 'Orient Red' blooms reliably each year: whereas many clones in cultivation do not and is much more floriferous than typical selections. In san Antonio, it blooms in late spring, summer and fall It loves a hot exposure and blooms in response to thunderstorms similar to rain lilly. The fall blooms have white stripes on the Keel of the petal."

    Another crowd sourced description from SE Arizona.

    "Great and easy bulb for high elevations in SE Arizona (5,200). It has been down to 0F here and the bulbs have no problem. Every winter to low 20's are common. Some Aztec Lily bulbs are planted away from watering sources. They stay dormant until they bloom about June and then leaf out with the summer monsoon. Plants around the house that are watered once a week start blooming in March when max min temps reach 70F and 40F. Too much water and shade result in leaves but no flowers. Hand pollinate between flowers and you will get seed."

    --------------

    SO any in SA know where to get this Orient Red Spekelia formosissima?

    Second post give me much to think about. Maybe I do need to move it BUT Abarbie4you says when she separated out a bulb and moved it, they never bloomed. HMMMMM. I am always cautious about placing bulbs out in the sun and rocky soil areas. BUT that is where I here they grow in habitat. What to do, what to do.

    I also read some long post on it on GW Amaryllis forum. But most grow in pots.


  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I don't remember where I got it, but I had an "Orient red" for many years. It was planted in full sun by the tower in heavy clay soil. It never divided, but bloomed faithfully every year. This year I was redoing that bed and attempted to move it, but because it was so deeply situated I split the bulb with the shovel.

    I'll check to see if Rainbow Gardens has it next time I'm there.

    wantonamara Z8 CenTex thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
  • 10 years ago

    Mine has(ve) been unpredictable and skimpy bloomers. I suspect not enough moisture but not absolutely sure. I find it amazing that bulbs can be dormant for multiple seasons and then voila, show their pretty faces.

  • 10 years ago

    At least ya'll got a bloom!!! I've brought my first one from Amsterdam airport close to 15 years and NOT one bloom... I've had them in ground, and now they are in a pot. It gets overwintered in garage and then out to sunny area. My leaves never die back -been adding fertilizer still nothing.

    I've hear they are persnickety...but this is ridiculous! Another spring and come and gone...

    OK, will add more compost to them - they are getting more watering in this rain.





  • 10 years ago

    We have black clay and they get morning sun afternoon shade. We do have a sprinkler system, haven't needed to turn it on this yr. yet. Mine has another bloom on it today.

  • 10 years ago

    Well Ragna, if you see one, pick one up, you know that I am good for it. I want to experiment with it further out in the sun.

  • 10 years ago

    I think I need to put some bone meal on it.

  • 10 years ago

    Mine has been putting out lots of green , so that makes me think that it gets too much shade. . Pikes-hk, I would think that yours could be an outdoors plant in Houston. BUT, when I did look the plant up in the DG database. There were a couple of people from Houston and Louisiana who had no bloom luck so maybe you guys get too much rain along with the heavy soil. People talked about it needing to be dry when dormant and watered when in growth. This plant has made me scratch my head. I was reading the comments and ran across myself years ago , having luck with it. LOL. Sometimes it is like running across a stranger.

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