(1) Response to NIGHTMYST:
I have never noticed how much is open at night... or when they are fully closed... however as I writ...Read Moree this August 24 5:30pm PDT (sunset is around 7:30 now) there are some flowers at least 1/2 open and will be closed by sunset. They seem to be more open in morning; beginning to close later in the day. Blue Eyed grass- Sisyrhinchium sps. (another Iris relative) is fully open in the AM and completely closes by afternoon.
There is a good chance that your hot/humid Texas weather may stimulate closing earlier in the day. Also consider that this is a plant adapted to cool (not cold) wet winter for its essential growth and bloom period and hot (relatively) dry summers for a dormancy period. Try growing this plant in the coolest possible exposure with dappled or OPEN shade... Although they love at least several hours of sun each day "open shade" means complete exposure to the sky above without the tree branches etc. Avoiding Sun shining directly upon the plant... this will provide sufficient light radiation for many plants otherwise needing at least part shade to even full Sun requirements!
["hot" for us in San Diego is in the upper 70'sF- lower 80'sF.]
(2) Have grown 4 other cvs. and the 1 species type many years ago. Lost them when not providing CONSISTENT moisture! Moisture is essential during fall/winter growth period at least! They are a winter wet/summer dry kind of plant. They also grow in riparian habitats of South Africa that may never completely dry out(?)
JENNIFER is the only one so far (for me) that has had an extremely extended blooming period. She started late fall/early winter 2020 and has never ceased blooming!!! As of Aug. 24, 2021 in a 3 gal. nursery pot there are two spikes of flowers just about finished; one that has just started blooming and three more on the way.
My caveat is of course... my poor care for the others: Leaving the door open for the other cvs. and species type likely having this same characteristic growth as JENNIFER!
AGAIN I emphasize the necessity for consistent moisture. This species appears to be well adapted to living in temporarily flooded conditions... Especially during mediterranean climate type winter. However- mucky soil in a riparian habitat is not anything like a plant in wet garden soil with too much partially decomposed organic matter or in wet potting soil. I would suppose this plant would do quite well in an Aquaponics set-up or in a water garden given this same treatment.
About 28 years ago I tried a Schizostylis coccinea cv. in a layer of pea gravel upon one level of a wide, multilevel yet gentle waterfall. It did grow and spread slightly but eventually "wore out"- I believe due to inadequate nutrients in the pond water that it depended upon for survival. Adding small fertilizer pellets never helped as obviously the water flowing over and through the gravel would deplete the nutrients.
I would note that the Schizostylis/Hesperantha coccinea are very shallow rooted by adaptation to their riparian habitat. Their primary means of spreading is by an almost stoloniferous growth shortly below the soil surface from actively growing root system developed from from previously dormant, established rhizome like (tubers?). These shallow "runners" develop into a corm-like form which essentially separates from the main plant. They certainly are not the branching rhizome of a typical Iris. Also small corm-like bulbils develop upon each blooming stem. There may be one or more upon each stem. When the stem has finished bloom and begun to dry out the bulbils will eventually be strategically placed upon the earth nearby as the old stems fall typically during the rains of the next winter season.
In conclusion: It feels really good to know that I have finally understood the needs of this beautiful; however not as spectacular plant as many of the Iris family! Especially with all the incredible climate changes I am experiencing here saving at least a few plants "in spite of" is tremendously satisfying. That said these last two years I have lost a significant number of plants in my collection due to the almost constant levels of heat and winds that would have only occurred for us for about one or two weeks of the year!!!!! Even the media do not talk about "Santa Ana" wind conditions any more! Rather than this unique seasonal event for short periods we are experiencing such conditions for longer and longer periods almost year round!
(1) Response to NIGHTMYST:
I have never noticed how much is open at night... or when they are fully closed... however as I writ...Read More
My cape lily blooms only at night and I cannot find anywhere that it says this about this plant. Anyone else?
Thanks
Nightmyst