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Lily Lion Heart

Thursday 21 June 2012

Colourful Calochortus

I quite like the genus Calochortus, however I only grow 1 at present clavatus var. clavatus.  A few years ago I purchased some from Telos Bulbs a great nursery in California.  I grew a total of 4 species of which I lost 3. Next year I have decided to order more.  They occur from southern British Columbia down to Mexico and Guatemala, with the largest concentration in California. They grow from perennial tunicated bulbs. The common name for the most part is Mariposa Lily, however the campanulate species are known as Fairy Lanterns, and another type called cat's ears is so called as the flowers look like pussy ears. Mariposa comes from Spanish and means "Butterfly", quite aptly named as the flowers of many species resemble the eloborate colours and shapes of a butterfly. They comprise some 70 species and grow in grasslands, and chaparral on dry slopes and hillsides.

C. clavatus var. clavatus has lovely yellow flowers from California, and stands 30cm tall and is grown in my cold greenhouse for the winter.

2 comments:

  1. Count me in if you are looking for others to share expenses of Telos order!

    Nice Oxalis. How do you do that?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Barry, Sounds fabulous! For the Oxalis I grow it in the cold greenhouse for the winter, give it some moisture,ramp it up in the spring, and away she goes with her dazzling show. Loves lots of sun.

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