Mexican shell flowers

[Palm crazy]

Its that time of year again for the mexican shell flowers to show off their colors. Tigridia are easy to grow and a little tender….z9 in ground and z9b in pots, as the name suggest native to Mexico.  Each flowering stem produces three flowers at a time and only last one day each. Thanks for looking. 

Edited July 13, 2017 by Palm crazy

[XYZ]

Excellent group of plants there, man! Are these Dutch or US origin? As you probably know, besides the extreme color variation in T. pavonia, there are a pretty good number of species in the genus, many strongly reminiscent of Mariposa lilies (Calochortus spp.), which may be sympatric with tiger iris in Mexico and Guatemala. They can be quite common where they occur and look amazing in masses when in bloom.

Wild-source T. pavonia are actually somewhat more hardy than a USDA Z9. Here are some improved flowers (red) and wild-origin plants (orange) that I planted as patches of seasonal color to complement stem succulents and Mesoamerican salvias growing in a seasonally dry coastal live oak landscape here. The wild source plants were overwintered as dormant bulbs in black plastic pots filled with very free-draining media (fine black lava, pumice + a small amount of amended sphanum peat mix) and had the bejeezus thrown at them this past winter. Not only did they emerge unscathed, they multiplied consistently throughout dormancy. Pots were completely open to the sky on a concrete pad...25-26 degrees F overnight on several occasions. I also grow some offsets of old, wild-sourced T. orthantha from Oaxaca (also occurs in Guat) that are just emerging.

 

Good growing,

J

 

 

[DoomsDave]

Those are so pretty, too bad they only last a short time.

[Jdiaz31089]

I was going to say the same thing J, they look like very bold, bright calochortus. The calochortus are blooming in the foothills right now, quite a sight to see the pastel-colored flowers among dry grass.

1 hour ago, stone jaguar said:

Excellent group of plants there, man! Are these Dutch or US origin? As you probably know, besides the extreme color variation in T. pavonia, there are a pretty good number of species in the genus, many strongly reminiscent of Mariposa lilies (Calochortus spp.)

 

 

[Palm crazy]

Stone Jaguar, I think these are american ones. Last winter 75% died off in a pot at 21F. Soil they were in was just general potting soil but not really fast draining and since the rainy season here is in fall and winter they rotted. I love to get some of the more interesting blizzard color forms. I never seem them for sale here, got these at the big box stores 10 bulbs for five bucks. Very colorful while they last. 

The blue ones are T. tepozatlana. 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2017 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

36 minutes ago, Jdiaz31089 said:

I was going to say the same thing J, they look like very bold, bright calochortus. The calochortus are blooming in the foothills right now, quite a sight to see the pastel-colored flowers among dry grass.

 

I’ve never grown Calochortus before but I should since some are very colorful and exotic looking. 

[XYZ]

 

A friend of mine coathoured the Timber Press book on Calochortus. There are a few nice sp. in Guatemala. Almost all are very challenging in captivity. A few of the exceptions to the rule are available from the better native plants nurseries. Some of the Sonoran desert spp. might be worth a try by a skilled hand in a pot.

PC: these things need very good drainage and a systemic fungicide drench in the late fall if you want to overwinter them wet and cold with any expectation of seeing them emerge on the flip side. Like Sprekelia, I think a lot of East Coast color-garden hausfraus grow them as a one season novelty rather than make any effort to test their hardiness in an informed manner.

[Silas_Sancona]

34 minutes ago, Palm crazy said:

I’ve never grown Calochortus before but I should since some are very colorful and exotic looking. 

Calochortus are indeed great flowering bulbs and you should be able to grow the commoner species up there. These were some of the first more challanging natives i set out to collect and grow years ago back in California, along side Dodecatheon ( shooting stars) and some other stuff I'd bring back from hikes in the hills near my house. 

Some of the really wild colored species can be difficult, or have very exacting cultural requirements ( need specific soil conditions, aka serpentine, etc) The Desert Museum down in Tucson has had a difficult time trying to establish plantings of  C. Kennedyi, one of the most sought after species, even though they grow naturally outside the Museum grounds. 

[Palm crazy]

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Calochortus are indeed great flowering bulbs and you should be able to grow the commoner species up there. These were some of the first more challanging natives i set out to collect and grow years ago back in California, along side Dodecatheon ( shooting stars) and some other stuff I'd bring back from hikes in the hills near my house. 

Some of the really wild colored species can be difficult, or have very exacting cultural requirements ( need specific soil conditions, aka serpentine, etc) The Desert Museum down in Tucson has had a difficult time trying to establish plantings of  C. Kennedyi, one of the most sought after species, even though they grow naturally outside the Museum grounds. 

Even thought it’s a hot inland species I like to try one bulbs sometime.  I’m a sucker for anything orange.  I have a really cool book on South African bulbs I need to get into some of those also.