I am new to this forum but have had many unusual plants for many years. I like the "tropical" look and am trying to give my gardens this look. About 7 years ago I was given a "bulb" that was found on a nature hike on Oahu. Not knowing exactly what it was, I stuck it in one of my pots and after about 6 months it started to grow... and grow, and grow. Two years ago it flowered and it was from that I was able to identify it as a type of poison bulb/crinum lily. For the past two years it has done nothing but get bigger and divide so that now there are 3 stalks in the pot. For the past few years we have been moving it between the house (in the winter) and a greenhouse (in the summer months), and currently it is residing in a heated greenhouse but it takes up a lot of room. My question: how cold tolerant is this plant? From what I have read its range is listed from zone 9 all the way down to zone 7 - it is said to die back but re-grow in the spring (I am in zone 8b). I would love to give it more room by planting it outside in one of the gardens, but after this many years I would hate to lose it. Could it be planted close to the house for protection, or even covered during the winter? (I wrap my Golden Lotus Bananas Musella lasiocarpa during the winter months) Any information on this would be greatly appreciated Thank you.
It's perfectly hardy in 8b in Texas however YMMV as our climates are completely different. Don't put it into the ground until the soil has warmed and don't fertilize after mid-Summer. Ricepaper plant is another tropical looking plant that's quite hardy. It's also very vigorous so place it where you can keep it under control. Amorphophallus Konjac for a bulb. http://rslandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2010/07/amorphophallus.html
Thank you Saltcedar! I know our climate is much wetter than Texas but if I can place it in the ground permantly (not until it gets much warmer of course) that would be wonderful. It really needs to be someplace its roots can grow; each year I have to transplant it into a bigger pot and I always have to break the pot because the roots are coming out the bottom. It seems that no matter how big the pot, it is never big enough. And I have the prefect location in mind to plant it - on the east side of the house right under a window where it would be protected by the overhang but it would still get plenty of sun in the morning straight through to the early afternoon. It would also get little to no snow - if we get any at all. Would you still recommend covering or protecting it during the winter months? I could quite easily erect an A-frame over it and wrap it with landscape fleece and poly if need be (I already do this in the late fall for my bananas and passion vines, one more plant would not be an issue). Thanks again!
I will keep that in mind. What do you think of a raised bed to allow for better drainage and then, if need be, a shelter over it to try and keep the rains off during the winter months? (this would not the first time I have done this sort of "work" to make a plant happy - if it is happy and survives, then I am happy)
It should do fine in a raised bed. Rainfall (on average) is about the same as my area. However our rain can come any month(s) of the year. So there's no real rainy season.
Thank you for all your information. When I move it outside - later in May or June - I will have to post some pictures so that you can see it in its "new home". Until then...
Will not live outdoors there, I see this outside only in places like Hawaii and southern coastal California.
"This" = the species being discussed. C. x powellii is rather frequent at local outlets. However, coldest winters here can hurt it. I've noticed what is probably 'Ellen Bosanquet' growing well on the north side of a tired building in an urban neighborhood here, apparently not bothered by the seemingly cold, drafty and dirty planting site.
Had you said it won't bloom I wouldn't have been surprised. Many tropicals seem to need heat/humidity or warm nights to thrive. But this one grows as far north as zone 7 in the eastern US so I'm puzzled.
Sunset Publishing zones it as suitable for southern coastal Central California southward only (in this part of the US), as I would expect. It's quite frequent in plantings near Hawaiian beaches. Nothing liking such conditions is going to be a success in Vancouver. http://plantfinder.sunset.com/plant-details.jsp?id=3437
We must be growing only hardier hybrids then. Op probably shouldn't risk it in the ground. Unless you divide it and only place one in the soil and the rest kept indoors for the Winter.
I will keep all of this in mind. The last time we were in Hawaii - only a few months before it flowered and I was able to identify the plant - I had seen a plant that looked very similar (and indeed turned out to be a crinum lily) - so I asked about. This was on Kona and I was told they grow wild but are not necessarily native to the Hawaiian Islands. The "seed" for the plant I have was found on a nature hike to a waterfall in the middle of Ohau, nowhere near the coast. Perhaps I will re-pot once again in the spring but this time will divide it. Two can stay in the greenhouse while the third plant I will place on the protected side of the house but will leave it in the pot. This way if it looks like it is in trouble I can move the whole thing back into the greenhouse.....and then start looking someone else to give them a new home as two pots of crinum will be taking up way too much room.
FYI, I just took a quick look at the link and that is not the one I have, I suspect it is the giant as the flowers are white and it is approaching 5ft in height.
