I bought these bulbs from someone on Ebay. She said someone told her they were 12 Sisters Lily. She said they bloom red/white and grow to be 3-4 feet tall. Does anyone grow these? Or from looking at the bulbs maybe have an idea of what they might be? THANKS!!
St. Joseph's lily maybe
They sure look to be Crinums, and then it gets confusing. :-)
As far as old Crinums "in the trade" go, there is one called 'Seven Sisters' a solid white, and one called 'Twelve Apostles' which is solid pink.
I haven't come across "12 Sisters" so I wonder if the name is a local or limited-distribution name, lovingly given... Without seeing the bloom, I can say nothing more.
R.
I agree that they do look like Crinums of some sort.
The bulbs in the photo aren't "scaley" like most "Lily" bulbs.
Are crinums hardy in zone 6? I am afraid to plant them, but they are getting new growth. If they are not hardy here, what should I do with them? The bulbs are also turning a reddinsh purple. Thanks for your help everyone!
Most of the "garden Crinums", those commonly-planted "hardy" ones (not the tender/tropical cones) are generally perfectly hardy in zone 7 North Carolina. They don't require protection, but I have mulched some deeply to preserve any above-ground "neck", say on JC Harvey or xpowellii. Without mulching, they freeze to the ground in winter at soil level. I don't plan to do that anymore, the results weren't especially different as far as growth and flowering are concerned.
Most sources say that those that are fine in zone 7 will "likely" survive if protected in zone 6. There is little about zone 5, but you might find something on the net.
C. bulbispermum (a species) is the most hardy and is said to survive with protection into zone 5. In my garden, with just a little mulch around the plant, the exposed foliage has survived the winter, while all other Crinums were frozen back, but returned unscathed in the spring.
So--- it would be a gamble at this point to plant without knowing exactly what you have. Also, without adequate time to become established before the ground cools too much, your bulb would be a little more vulnerable as well.
Perhaps others here in your zone that have had success with various Crinums in the ground will share their experience, but I wouldn't advise that you put them in this season anyway, and plant next spring in the ground (possibly after starting them in pots this year or at sometime before the advent of warmer weather next year.
Planting *deeply* at the base of a south-facing brick wall, around asphalt, concrete, rocks that extend undergound, in an "ell" of the house, etc. might help that particular spot remain warmer than it would in an exposed area, helping your bulbs overwinter.
And by deep planting, I mean that the shoulder of the bulb would be well below the penetration of frost-- how deeply the soil there freezes. I would also try to plant where the soil doesn't receive winter rains. Cold and wet together can hurt plants that might fare better if they were dry when cold.
Take a look at this article regarding hardiness:
http://www.marcellescrinums.com/html/hardiness.html
Tony Avent has provided a list of cvs that will take cold down to 5F. Here in NC, if it ever gets that cold, it is rarely for very long each occurrence and periods of such cold are very rare these days. I think we had several 10F nights last year. So you would check local temperatures very close to home to see what your bulbs would be exposed to and for how long, and also for the average temperature (including ground temperatures if you can get them) and decide if you want to risk your bulbs or not.
You might grow them in pots until you get a few offsets to pot up "or "backup" and overwinter indoors and plant the largest bulbs.
You will be facing a shorter growing season than many common Crinums prefer, and extending the season with pot culture might speed things along. There is a continuum of "age and size" a bulb must be/have to bloom. An old uncared-for bulb or one grown in the northern latitudes that hasn't had optimum conditions might not yet have bloomed whereas a 3 or 4 year-old bulb grown in the deep south might bloom, having reached "a good size" due to the longer growing season relatively quickly.
So, it's up to you what to do. I think it would be very risky to plant in the ground this fall and possibly as risky anyway due to your colder climate.
As far as the reddening of the bulb goes, that is a normal reaction of the newly exposed scale tissues to sunlight. Not a problem in the slightest.
R.
raydio: REALLY good post !
Raydio~~THANK YOU! Very informative and helpful! I am in zone 6 and I didn't think criniums were hardy here. I will pay closer attention to tempatures this winter and plant them as you say in the spring. Can I go ahead and just pot them up now? One of them is showing new leaf growth. And one other thing...how big would they become in the house over winter? Again, thank you so much for the great info and the link.
You're welcome Jasper. Glad to share.
Jen~
Yes, you can plant now and grow them. Another DGer has the same concerns as you and I posted some about potting up and growing indoors over winter:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/895953/
If you need more, just ask.
R.
Thank you Raydio. I do very much apperciate your help!
