Erythronium in 2010

[Todd Boland]

One of my favourite spring bulbs are the Erythronium.  I don't have many selections yet but in time hope to add more.  The first one opened today...E. dens-canis.  I have loads of these, all originated from one bulb which, unfortunately, was a poor bloomer.  I literally have hundreds but only one single bloom!  Thankfully the foliage is attractive.

[Lori S.]

Wow, how long did it take to spread like that?  I planted a couple of bulbs (corms?? -whatever they are) of E. dens-canis 10-12 years ago, and still only have 2 small clumps!  And they only started blooming in 2008!

Rather mysteriously last year, some erythroniums (seedlings of E. dens-canis, seemingly) also showed up about 15' away from the original plants.  Can't remember and don't have any records of planting any others, so I wonder if they are making up for lost time?

Snowing here now, as predicted - oh well, we can use the moisture. 

[Hoy]

My experience is they flower well and bulk up for a couple of years then start to deteriorate and divide and get smaller and smaller and then disappear. Except the yellow-flowered, they keep going.
Only flower buds now, no flowers open yet.

[Todd Boland]

Lori, E. dens-canis multiplies like crazy for me, at least this form.  I have moved them all over the garden trying to find a spot where they will bloom.  Hasn't happened yet! I even have 4 clumps at the BG, and they won't bloom either.   I think I simply got a bad clone of shy-bloomers.  I did get a white form from Ruksans 2 years ago but I don't see it this year

Trond, the yellow one that is most consistent for me is Pagoda.  Mine are only 3-4" tall yet.  I'd love to grow E. glacialis but they are reticent to grow away from their mountain homes.  Lori, why not post some drifts of them you saw in the Rockies.  They are stunning!

[RickR]

A wondering for everyone: for the reluctant blooming Erythroniums, could it be something lacking in the soil that contributes? (K, P, Fe, etc.)  If you've got so many to work with, Todd, it would be an interesting experiment for us all.

[RickR]

I assume anything in the family LILIACEAE would be bulbous.  Correct?

[Hoy]

I assume anything in the family LILIACEAE would be bulbous.  Correct?

I think some of the Liliaceae have rhizomes, Clintonia for example.

[RickR]

I sit here corrected and befuddled.  For some reason I had thought that such genera as Clintonia and Uvularia were more distantly related TO Lilium for example, like in the rank of order rather than family.   I am befuddled because of the lack of uniformity among web sites.  Flora of North America has them and so many other genera under one family - Liliaceae.

RHS uses a system that breaks down the myriad of genera in that Liliaceae into many different families - CONVALLARIACEAE, ALIACEAE, AMARYLLIDACEAE, LILIACEAE, ETC.

Oh my

[Todd Boland]

With all the recent changes in the family Liliaceae, our one-time 13 members is now reduced to just 1!  The rest have been moved to Alliaceae, Colchicaceae, Convallaririaceae, Melanthiaceae and Tofieldiaceae.

[Lori S.]

Erythronium dens-canis is open today.  This is one of the two little verrrry slow-growing clumps. A couple of buds got knocked off the other plant - a minor tragedy when there were only 6 buds to begin with. 

[Todd Boland]

I would be happy if mine were slow yet flowered!  I noticed today that one isolated clump in my garden actually has 4 buds...that will be the most I've ever had bloom!

[Hoy]

Here's one of mine. Don't know the name, maybe one I have grown from seed. Not flowering yet but soon... meanwhile can I enjoy the leaves!

[Lori S.]

That is amazing foliage, Trond!  Does anyone know the species?

[Todd Boland]

based on the lateness of blooming and dark foliage and 2-bifoliate appearance, I'd tend to say its either californicum (white) or revolutum (white or pink).

[IMYoung]

I don't regard the timing as being particularly late, since Trond is in Norway.... I'd incline towards E. revolutum .... that bud promises "pink" to me!