Some florists plants are bred only to thrive under highly controlled greenhouse conditions, and not to be long-lasting anyhow...so they are difficult to keep alive for most consumers.

I found there is quite a lot of information available out there on how to grow these and a common comment to most sites is that they are easy to grow as pot plants indoors where not sufficiently hardy outside. I've purchased them once or twice - orange colored anything will call to me - but never investigated planting them out. They are supposedly hardy in my zone. The Pacific Bulb Society does indicate that they prefer to be grown under just slightly moist conditions during summer dormancy and appreciate heat during this period as well. (maybe why I didn't plant it out....not exactly a very summer warm climate in my area :-))

As an aside, while looking up this info from PBS, I did notice a discussion about another species - Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum. Not sure I have ever encountered a species name quite so convoluted and such a mouthful!!

Yes, I have read up everything out there on them including the blurb by the Pacific bulb club. I think that species name is totally crazy and entirely unnecessary. It is not uncommon for people in academia to go on their own power trip and forget how this stuff doesn't help the scientific community. I can understand when the species gets named based on some scientists name but this one seemed designed to describe the entire structure in one word.

I have just planted my little bulbs again, they are showing some sprouting. I will leave them outdoors as long as weather permits. I think I am going to try to feed them regularly when they start growing and see if they do any better.

Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum

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really.... there ought to be a rule for how many letters in a name .... do you realize how small i would have to set the label maker to get that all on one common label ... i mean really ... we are talking billboard size here ...

ken

ps: is there a translation to the second part ...??? .. besides nomenclaturist who apparently drinks heavily and has a sense of humor??

Leans towards the north???

Derivation of specific name: The specific epithet means “inclined to the north.”

Wouldn’t, say, borealtropic do just as well?

http://llifle.com/Encyclopedia/BULBS/Family/Hyacinthaceae/33528/Ornithogalum_adseptentrionesvergentulum

tj

The specific epithet means “the little chap inclined towards the north”. Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum | Possibly the longe… | Flickr

Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum | Ornithogalum adsep… | Flickr

Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum (llifle.com)

I do not know any greek or latin so not sure how that breaks up in parts. As a trained Organic Chemist who has dealt with long chemical names at length, I have to say that chemists do a better job at logically naming things than biologists even if they have much longer names to handle.