Cardiocrinum giganteum |
Origin: China
Zone Range: 6-9
Preferred Situation: Semi sun; well draining humus rich fertile soil.
Harvest Date: Friday 09 November, 2007
Description:
A show stopping species that deserves a prominant possition in the garden. Sweetly fragrant trumpet shaped blooms are ivory with a redish marroon throat are borne up to 20 per stem for a cascading display that will last for weeks. Heart shaped leaves are the size of platters. Monocarpic. Our trials show it only germinates in the spring, so don't tear your hair out expecting germination in a few weeks. Best if sown in September or in March/April for germination the following spring. It needs warmth then a period of cold to germinate.
Notes:
Needs adequate soil moisture to attain height and proper flowering. Species displays two forms of reproductive strategies in using both seed and bulbils. The bulbils are clones of mom while the seed will give you individuals with their own genetic indentity. May take 5-7 years to bloom from seed and shorter from bulbils. 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:
To germinate, use a humus or compost rich medium. Barely cover seed. Keep moist. Keep a shady cool site. Expose to 4C for 2-3 weeks then germinate at 12-15C. May take 3 months. We're finding that germination only occurs in the early spring. I sow seed in September or in March/April for germination in late February. Might need a repeat the cold/warm cycle so don't dump out the pot. Prick out individual seedlings as they sprout and transplant into pots. Don't let the seedlings freeze in the following winter as this is potentially fatal (bulbs will grow too making a bigger plant when over wintered in a unheated greenhouse. Transplant in Autumn. A bit of a challenge to germinate for the uninitiated, but well worth the effort! If you are going to grow a plant like this with somewhat demanding or exacting germination requirements, my secret is to plant more than one seed to economize your time and resources.
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