BCSS - Forum

It seems a good number of people have some South African bulbs in their collection to provide some winter color. Mostly those are Lachenalia or Massonia. Daubenya are a bit more elusive and possibly more challenging. I finally managed to get some flowers on a few of mine this winter.

Daubenya aurea. The more common form has red flowers, but my seedlings are still too small for flowers. At least one of my plants may be a hybrid between the color forms. Daubenya stylosa, a bit like a yellow brush. Daubenya alba, not white but purple-ish.

Very attractive, thanks for bring them to attention.

Yes - most definitely thanks for sharing these with us

These are beautiful and well worth growing. Thanks for sharing.

Nice. I'm enjoying some Lachenalias right now; before that it was Massonias. I've also got Tropaeolum tricolor flwoering - very jolly, but tiny flowers.

I have flowered the other daubenyas but I do find D. aurea very difficult to even grow to flowering size. The alpine units at Wisley and Kew gardens do very well with it - perhaps I try to grow it too warm? It does come from the Roggeveld plateau which is one of the coldest parts of South Africa (down to -15C).

Tropaeolum tricolor has got quite showy flowers, several cm long. Have you checked out your plant Ralph?

Terry S. wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:34 am
Tropaeolum tricolor has got quite showy flowers, several cm long. Have you checked out your plant Ralph?

I also grow tricolor, the flowers are pretty but as Ralph says, very small.

Terry S. wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:34 am Tropaeolum tricolor has got quite showy flowers, several cm long. Have you checked out your plant Ralph?

Hi Terry
the flowers on mine can't be much above 1cm long (the coloured bit, not counting stalks).
Perhaps it's rather variable. Or maybe there are other similar species?
Ralph

That’s identical to my plant so perhaps not very variable?

Yes, the flower appears to be identical to those on my stock, However, compare the size of leaves to flowers on our various plants; the flowers on mine are much larger than the leaves. Also my plant has nowhere near started flowering yet this year, so I cannot do a measurement.