Alstromeria soil pH and Crocosmia cv. with dark leaves.

Well, do you know about either of these things?:

1: Will Alstromeria grow in alkaline soil? I have seen the good reports for acid soil, but I must know if anyone has done it in a pH soil of 7.1-8.0, and if so, what species or cultivar. Unless I hear that several have tried, only to see it suffer from chlorosis, I will try it myself next year using A. aurea 'Orange King.'

2: Have you seen the Crocosmia with red-bronzed leaves? It is dashing! I would like to know the name of the cultivar and perhaps where to find it. I saw it growing at Butchart Gardens, asked about it, learned it's name, and forgot.


Thank you,
James

(And that picture was only to nab your attention, sorry.)

Aha, I just found a not-so helpful picture of it. It does not appear to be blooming, with what I assume is 'Lucifer' standing behind it.

That crocosmia is fantastic! I'd like info on that one to, and wonder about its hardiness. The only alstromeria I've tried so far is Sweet Laura, and at the end of its 2nd year reached a pathetic 6". I think it was a dud plant to begin with. I don't know about their ph tolerance; most of my soil tends toward acidic. I've been seeing a rosey colored variety called Freedom that is said to be zone 5 hardy that I'd like to try. I'm not going to try any of the cold tender varieties (which kills me because there are so many great colors!) because they're said to dislike being disturbed. Is the orange variety you're considering hardy in your zone?
Neal.

Thanks for you interest, Neal. I have a great microclimactic area for it. It is a bit of a zone 8, certainly. I understand that a healthier plant will be hardier, and an extreme mulch can keep anything alive, and that most Alsromeria will survive between 10 and 0 degrees naturally. I have read that 'Freedom' is the hardiest, but I want to try an A. aurea cultivar as I dislike pink!
Just an experiment, it seems. A few acid-lovers, I hear, will take a very rich alkaline soil.

Now, I may have to inquire through Butchart's to find out about that crocosmia...
James

James,
Do you have the Altromeria plants?
I have several colors of them now. I have an orange, yellow, red/green varigated, and would like most any of the pink ones. The plants are still small except for the yellow one. It is the invasive/wilder one. It really goes!
I am looking for some seeds or tuber/plants of other colors.
Let me know if you want the yellow one or you have any that I would like.
Thanks, Carol

Hi, there is a bronze leaf crocosmia called Solfaterre, with yellow flowers, another too I think but don't recall the name. Does that sound familiar? i believe it is smaller than some.

here's a few pics, some with dark leaves

http://www.fsperennials.co.uk/catalogue/pl_crocosmia.htm

this guy has just about anything going in crocosmia

http://www.theafricangarden.com/page38.html

SARACEN!!!
I cannot find a good picture on the internet of its folliage.

I wrote it down on a slip of paper that seems to have been lost between here and Victoria. But I do remember asking the helpful Plant-ID lady to spell it for me.
Thank you very much, Wallaby. Now I can sleep tonight. One place in N Ireland wants £6 a corm. Ouch. I'll have to find a US source and hope they don't want a leg...

Carol, I do not have any Alstromeria; I have two sources in mind for next year. Wow, "red/green varigated." You are going to have to post a picture or a cultivar name.
If you can produce the species name of your "invasive/wilder one" I would certainly not mind arranging a trade come spring. There are a few ferns from OR under my tree that seem to be doing well. "Invasive" tends to mean survivor in my climate!

James

James,
I do not know the actual name for the yellow one tho (got it from a friend's garden), it has been said to be Alstromeria aurantiaca. But it really does survive.
I am digging it for another DG trade so I will keep you in mind too then. Just remind me later then.
Let me know if you get any from your two sources.
Carol

Plant Sarari has the crocosmia. They are a great place to deal with. They are in the garden watchdog. Their picture is pretty good.

http://www.plantsafari.com/Catalog2/Detail/00330.html

This message was edited Dec 26, 2005 3:28 AM

I believe the alstroemeria with variegated leaves is the var. form of a. psittacina. I nearly bought one on ebay once, but didn't want to pay the price with shipping, it is quite hardy but needs to be got growing well in a pot first, and does spread quite well. I already have 2 interesting ones which I leave in pots outside, but they deteriorate, so took a bit up to overwinter in a shed, it does recover. it should be kept free draining and quite deep away from frost.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/a/alst_psi.cfm

You might try ebay for the Saracen, i have seen it for sale here on ebay, a corm should be fairly easy to name as 'seed' for customs purposes. If you are an ebay member, do a search and then include international sellers.

Thank you everyone for an information bounty.

Alstroemeria: (Note: spelled it correctly this time!) We will see how they do next year in Alkaline soil, and

Crocosmia 'Saracen' will probably settle into my mind until spring bulb season, at which point, bounty-hunting is the game. (Thank you very much Wallaby)

James

Just wanted to post a picture of the alstroemeria that my husband brought me from Walmart a week ago last Friday. And I also wanted to say that they look EXACTLY like they did the day he brought them home. No wilt at all yet. And they came from Colombia. I find that absolutely amazing.

Detail...

Yep, those are the types that I WANT!!!
My neighbor had some red ones and they lasted over a month in her vase in December. They last so long!
Very beautiful, Kb

Carol

Carol,

I just love them. They are at the bottom of our stairs, by the front door, where we see them all the time, and so do others that come in our house. I keep looking at them, they're soooooo pretty! Can't grow them here, though, I don't think. :-(

Kylee

Well, I have a few growing and am hoping to get more.
I don't know if they grow in OH. I bet you could grow my wild yellow one tho. It grows like a weed everywhere. I wonder if you could mulch it good? Tho I suppose your ground freezes so....
I want to get a plant of every single color. Last summer, I went to the farmers market with my mother up in Washington and one booth had every single color you can imagine in buckets. They were selling them for bouquets. I went crazy.
But stupid me, I should have asked them for some seeds or about where to get the plants from. The seeds do like a cold spell when germinating so....
Carol

Yes, our ground freezes, although so far this winter, it's only frozen on top, maybe an inch or so down. It's almost like just a crust on top. There's still a lot of winter to go, though.

Well-placed in front of the mirror, Kylee. Cut-flower appeal is big on Alstromoeria. Nice pictures, too.

Some sources say they can be grown as a tender bulb, but some who grow them here on DG say they sulk for a year or so after being moved kind of like a peony. So, since that would'nt work at all having to lift them each fall, I'm considering planting some in pots and bringing the whole pot in for winter. I've only seen 2 varieties (Freedom and Sweet Laura) that are said to be hardy to zone 5; there is a huge color range among the tender varieties though.

At the flower shop where I work, we get them dry packed from all over the world. They arrive in bud (just about to open), and are so wilty you'd think they'd never recover. Once the stems are cut under water and they've been given and hour or so to hydrate, they're perfectly turgid. Within a day or 2 at room temperature, those lovely blossoms develope and last for weeks.
Neal.

Oh, Neal, it must be wonderful to work with all those Peruvian lilies blooms!
How cool.
But yes, some varieties can grow like a weed and others do sulk for while, I have found.
Carol

Just a clarification for we dummies to Alstroemeria.... I found it in the PF where it says it's a perennial. It actually grows from a corm, right? Or am I all messed up? Thinking of putting some in pots, and I see Brent and Becky's has some.

It isn't a corm. More like tubers. But not totally like dahlia tubers. More like tubers with lots of roots attached to them. You would just dig up like you would a perennial to divide-tubers and roots and all.
Yes, it is a perennial.
People have put them in pots so they should work.
Carol

I owe you one, Wallaby1.

Am I allowed some serious credit for "senior moments" If I am not a senior? I was just looking for some Canadian postage stamps when I found this: