Cardiocrinum giganteum

The few missing pictures -




Here we are in one of the greenhouses and the row of plants to Hubby's left are all young giants. Six year olds in the front and five year olds towards the back.




Hubby walking away with a 5-year old young giant in a plastic bag.




I'll post a pic of ours when we finally get it planted.

 

Wow, Sis ... I'd say bring one down to me in the Autumn but I don't think they would survive here.

Hi, BinL ... front side and back side ... looks like you're hoofing it away with the goodies! :D

 

Thanks Sis.

Unfortunately, from what I've read and what the gardener told us, a hot and dry climate is not the thing for them. They need it cooler and damper, and they need the same soil conditions as rhododendrons etc. Guess that is why this guy had them growing everywhere in his gardens. So hope our baby does well. Looks rather tatty at the mo, all of them did, they are a feast for the snails and slugs. They also all had sun-burn spots.

 

Well I am so envious!!!! I have had a cardiocrinum several years now, it made lovely leaves when kept inside, but when I planted it in the woodland area where it was destined first of all the slugs demolished it, and then I was told they hate to be moved so I totaly messed up!

The bulb comes through every year, so I am hoping it will eventually build up enough strength to flower, but then they die! What a stupid plant to attempt to grow!

Well they are fantastic pictures KG, thans for renewing my interest/expectation.

I also grow other crinums, they tend to cross them with amaeilis and hippies, many have long necks, I am experimenting this year with my "Ellen Bosenquet" bulb - can't remember off hand which crinum it is, but it is massive. Christopher Lloyd has this theory that they have long necks as they were destined to grow in still water, so she has been stuck in my pond - not sure why I bothered though, I think we will all be under water soon if it does not stop raining!

 

Thank you Waco. I never heard of "crinums" before but after reading your post I googled them and now I am interested in them. Must see if they would do well here, just the thing I like - plant them and leave them!

I must admit that I never heard of the cardiocrinum until earlier this week, when I read a tiny article in our local newspaper saying the one nursery had them. Off we went the next day to see this wonder and came back with a young one. Oh, I googled them before we went so I knew that slugs love them, so we'll put plenty of slug pellets out to protect ours.

How old is yours? They don't bloom until they are 6-7 years of age, then die. But they develope bulblets before then and you can take these off and plant them. These ones only take about 3-4 years to bloom.

So, I think that once you get bulblets, plant them in the right place and protect them from both slugs and getting sunburn, you are on your way to having a constant supply of them, and hopefully having one or two blooming every year.

Good luck with yours and hope you don't swim away!

 

I am ashamed to do this KG, but do it I must -



my poor cardiocrinum. It is 3 years old, I know slugs love them, I did put copper rings round it, but then it kind of got lost until I was reminded about it by your post.

I have a fairly large garden, but its wrong for cardiocrinums, not because of site or soil which is ideal, but because it should be grown as in your pictures in an almost wild woodland, I don't think its the kind of plants to be garden trained, although I believe the victorians did,

as to Crinums, I am not sure we have enough sunlight where I live for them to develop, I think I am in with a better chance to an early start with my greenhouse, anyway here is a picture of my experiment with "Ellen B" I note she has an offspring which I may be tempted to seperate if there was anyone daft enough to have a try with her!



you can see what D L meant by their long knecks.

 

can I ask; about copper wire: would any do or does it have to be a specific type?
where does one place it on the pots/soil?

 

After seeing how the snails and slugs have made a feast on your poor cardiocrinum I shall put lots of slug pellets around ours when it gets planted out. Must see about getting some copper tape too.

To get back to the crinums - how deep have you planted yours? Do you have to take them out in the winter when the pond freezes? One or two would make a nice addition to our pond. Is there any particular sturdy one or anything I should watch out for, etc? Thanks for any info you can give me.

 

I have had no real success with them, the bulbs just get bigger with lush foliage, so when I read CL's bit about putting them in water I thought it would be worth having a go with it - this is the first year I have done it.

Previously I have put crinum X powellii with nerines agains the soouth facing wall of the house. my nerines flower well but not crinums, crocosmia does well too.

I have not risked them outside....

sorry we go thunder and lightning storm comming back must shut down..

 

Oh, if they have to brought in during the winter then I can forget it. We have too many things now and the neighbour has one or two of his Brugmansias in our Wintergarten every winter. Pity, quite fancied a crinum.

 

They are borderline hardy in UK and I am told Amercrinum is supposed to be fully hardy.

They are south african and love sun, I think it all depends on the ammount of daylight you can get into them.

Amarilis Bella donna is supposed to be hardy too, this looks like crinum (well nearly)

not sure what your climate is like in winter.

 

hope this link works http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000250

I remember having a bit of a conversation with LoL over this and this should take you to a picture of crinum "ellen bosenquet" she is so tempting.

giong back to cardiocrinum, if you have a big setting for it, where you can stand the position to be empty for a few years then it will work, but I like my succession of plants too much to wait.

 

Waco, we have a south-facing wall but it is so full - now, what can be moved and to where??? I have docketed "crinum" for possible future use though. Thanks for the tips. We used to have nerines but they refused to grow here.

 

Hi Kedi-Gato,

I have one of these cardiocriniums giganteums and would add a warning in as much as slugs love Hostas, the dreaded Lily Beetle love to munch it's beautiful leaves, but if you manage to get past that problem the flowers are very stately, my one has not flowered this year yet but has started to shoot ever upwards. As to the time they take to flower, I found mine bloomed after three years , but I believe only the once , but as they like dahilias increase by tubers you have several on the go, and I get blooms every year now

 

Hi Seeker, I've been reading up some on these and I think that you must have a shoot from one to have it bloom after only 3 years, they take 6-7 years otherwise, and do only bloom once. As you say, they increase by bulbs or tubers so you can get several going at once.

The 5-year old one we bought looks rather nibbled on, the gardener did tell us that it is slugs. They can get sunburnt too, so need at least some shade.

Thanks for writing me, it is nice to know of someone else who has one of these beautiful and majestic flowers. So that is three of us now - you, Waco and me.