Crinums

This is the first bloom, after 3 years of waiting, on Crinum bulbispermum 'Sacramento'. It's basically a greenhouse plant that comes outside in the summer. It likes to be quite wet (we keep in in a large saucer filled with water at all times) and seems to like sun. This was one of Hank's semi-impulse purchases. We originally had 3, but one died and now we have this lovely small one and the one pictured below. 'Sacramento' is lovely sitting on a plant stand because, although it is only a foot or so tall, the leaves are quite long and so on a stand they can extend to their full length and not just sit on the shelf. The scent is heavenly and there seem to be about 6 buds on the scape. We kept looking down the center of the leaves for a bloomscape, but it came out of the base beside the leaves. Always interesting watching a plant you know nothing about to see just how it behaves. Speaking of behavior, we spent our whole lunchtime yesterday watching a black snake as it slowly slithered from tree branch to tree branch on its way to the house roof for its afternoon nap, in a nice, safe, slightly shady place. Anyway, back to the crinums...

This, I think, is Crinum amabile. The tag has been long since lost. Some of the leaves are a little ratty right now since it got bashed around a bit by the wind in a thunderstorm last week. This one is truly a monster. You can get some idea of its size when you realize that it is planted in a 10 gallon pot. Though I've not 'unplanted' it, I'm told that the bulb easily reached the size of a basketball. Don't even ask how heavy it is when I have to lug it upstairs in the winter where it keeps me company in the front, south facing window in my office. This one has not bloomed yet, though since the other one finally bloomed this year, maybe this one will too. It gets lots of water, like the smaller one, so we're hoping it blesses us with a bloom. I have a love/hate affair with this one. If it bloomed, I would probably feel less put upon as I lug it up the stairs this fall.

Jane