Cardiocrinum giganteum |
Native Region: China
Zone Range: 6-9
Preferred Climate: Semi sun; well draining humus rich fertile soil
Harvest Date: Wednesday 16 November, 2011
Seed count: 40-50
Description:
A show stopping tall species that deserves a prominent position in any garden. Sweetly fragrant trumpet shaped blooms are ivory with a reddish maroon throat and are borne up to 20 per stem for a cascading display that will last for weeks. Heart shaped leaves are the size of platters. Extremely tall plants to 2-3 meters in height, but very narrow in comparison. Monocarpic, but when treated well, it produces basal daughter sideshoots for continued presence in the garden...like Meconopsis. Can self seed prolifically in the right spot. Makes surprisingly lareg to nice sized bulbs in its first year...I am impressed.
Notes:
Needs adequate soil moisture to attain height and proper flowering. Species displays two reproductive strategies in using both seed and bulbils. The bubils are clones of mom while the seed will give you individuals with their own genetic identity. May take 5-7 years to bloom from seed and shorter from bublils. Once you have your grove established you can have yearly blooms and totally gob-smack the neighbours. You can sit back with your favorite beverage, smile to yourself and enjoy a sight few rarely enjoy!
Cultivation:
We found this very easy to germinate. Use a humus or compost rich medium. Sow and barely cover seed. Keep moist; a clear plastic cover will greatly improve success. Expose to 4C for 2-3 weeks then germinate at 15-20 C. May take 3 months. Prick out individual seedlings as they sprout and transplant into pots if not growing in a good sized nursery pot already. Don't let the seedlings freeze in the following winter as this is potentially fatal (you'll get bigger plants when over wintered in a unheated greenhouse). Transplant in Autumn.
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