Bulbous Oxalis 2010

[Mattus]

Sharing some bulbous Oxalis species in bloom right now, in the greenhouse. Mainly, a nice pot of Oxalis lutea, and easy to grow species which tends to put on a nice show every few years. It's funny, because I have a love/hate relationship with the genus. My passion with bulbous Oxalis began after the late Michael Vassar gave a presentation at the Huntington Botanical Garden in 2000. He gave me some bulbs, and I was hooked. The genus is incredibly diverse, and collectable. At that time, it was affordable too, which helped! My cold, winter greenhouse is the perfect environment providing cool, moist winter temperatures, and hot, dry summer conditions; they seem to grow in any soil mixture which is lean, and fast-draining. While growing, I sometimes let the pots sit in trays of water, which seems to stimulate more dense, growth. I grow the pots in either a sand plunge, or with a week or two sitting in the water trays, and always, in full sun.

[McDonough]

Wow, that's a beauty.  I have long admired the incredible diversity of this genus on the PBS (Pacific Bulb Society) wiki pages.  What aspects of the genus create the hate part of your love/hate relationship with the genus?

[Mattus]

LOL, Mark.
Hmmm, I can't imagine why anyone might hate Oxalis!

Really though, I simply wish that the choice, bulbous ones grew like the weedy ones, and that the weedy ones looked as nice as the rare bulbous ones.