Bulbs: Peruvian Daffodil Question.., 1 by andycdn

andycdn wrote:
I grew Peruvian daffodil (hymenocallis festalis) for about five years. It bloomed when the mother bulb reached about 4" in diameter. I had hoped for more, and was disappointed.

1. The bulb took several years to reach blooming size, and needed lots of space and care to develop. It took several years to reach blooming size.
2. The bloom lasted less than a week, and was minimally fragrant (my main, misguided, reason for growing it).
3. The mother produced huge numbers of offsets, which at first made me want to grow them all individually, but on reflection I realized this was a waste of energy and space.
4. The foliage (like an amaryllis) is useful here and there, but too much is too much. The stem grew about 3' high.

I finally chucked it out. For a week of bloom, interesting though it is, this plant is not worth it for me. I don't grow it any more.

Gordon, you have such a great space. If you really want to try this, I would advise growing it in a pot in an isolated area if you have one, until it reaches blooming size, then sinking it into a show spot when it blooms, if it ever does.

Here's a photo of mine at its best.