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In the Garden: Bold bulbs thrive locally

By Joan S. Bolton/Contributor

Like all bulbs, these beauties poke up their heads through the earth, sending their stems, leaves and sensational flowers skyward.

But they are not the showy Dutch hybrids of daffodils, tulips or hyacinths, which appear downright raucous at times. Instead, they are South African bulbs — often more delicate, graceful and fragrant — and entirely suited to Central Coast weather patterns of bone-dry summers and wet winters.

They thrive in water-conserving gardens and in containers. In nature, most send out lush foliage after winter rains, then erupt into bloom in spring or summer. A few of the most familiar, such as agapanthus, clivia and red-hot poker, are evergreen. But most are ephemeral beauties. After blooming, they shrivel up, then vanish until the following year.

The possibilities

A handful of South African bulbs (and corms, rhizomes and tubers) have long been popular here, such as freesia, montbretia and watsonia. But those offer only a tantalizing glimpse of an extremely diverse group of plants.

More than 1,200 species of native bulbs flourish at the southern tip of Africa, in Cape Province. Conditions there are like California’s. Mountains run parallel to the coast. Winters are mild. Virtually no rain falls during summer. It’s about the same distance south of the equator as we are north.

Despite the nearly perfect match of climates, South African species have been rare in Western gardens. But with more attention being paid to drought-resistant landscapes and a continuing search for plants adapted to Mediterranean climates, the bulbs are becoming easier to find. Some of the rarer types are worth the hunt.

Dozens of South Africans will naturalize here, multiplying to form masses of spring and summer color. Brightly-colored baboon flower (Babiana), cape tulip (Homeria), chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides) and flame freesia (Tritonia) are all good candidates for sun. Even there, a number of species, including wand flowers (Ixia), may be reluctant to fully open except on the sunniest of days.

Velthemia and Watsonia are better suited to dappled shade. Mine bloom beautifully in filtered light beneath coast live oak trees.

Container-bound

Short South African species may be most impressive in shallow bulb pots, where you can view them easily. Place them on a patio or a table while they’re blooming, instead of having to get down on your hands and knees to inspect the tiny fellows.

One little tyke is Romulea. It looks similar to crocus, with large, colorful flowers balancing atop stems only a few inches tall. Cape cowslips (Lachenalia species) are a little larger and bear plump spikes of tubular or bell-shaped flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, chartreuse, pink, purple, cream and white. The improbable colors — sometimes three or four on the same flower — are much better admired up close, rather than lost in the garden at large.

Pots are practical for other reasons, too.

Much of the year, most South African bulbs lie dormant beneath the surface, with nothing on top but dirt. In the garden, mulch or other plants may help to hide the bare spots. But you have to remember where they are. Otherwise, you might inadvertently dig them up, plant over them or irrigate the area.

It may be easier to stash your bulb pots in a remote, sunny location, then haul them into prominence as the flower stalks emerge, so you can watch them burst into glory.

Planting tips

Regardless of their home, two things are non-negotiable with the deciduous South African bulbs. One is good drainage and the other is a dry rest period in the summer.

In containers, use a light, porous mix, such as those designed for cactus and succulents. If you make your own potting soil, try three parts washed river sand to one part peat moss, one part vermiculite, one part forest humus and one part very fine, shredded bark.

In the ground, if your soil doesn’t provide decent drainage, plant your bulbs on a slope, a berm or in a raised bed so that gravity can help move away moisture.

Planting time is now. Many South Africans are available for just a brief time each fall. Once you’ve bought them, get them into the ground at once. The bulbs are dormant, and will spring to life with winter rains.

For most, the planting depth should be double the bulb’s diameter. For example, a 1-inch-wide bulb goes 2 inches deep.

Exceptions include giant Amaryllis, Nerine and Velthemia bulbs, which prefer their papery tops to sit just above the soil line. Also, the small corms of baboon flower and Romulea like to be 3 inches deep, which is about six times their diameter.

Fertilizing the bulbs is an infrequent, if nearly non-existent proposition.

You can sprinkle a granular, low-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 6-10-10, in the bottom of your planting holes, then top it with a thin layer of dirt so the bulbs don’t sit directly on the fertilizer.

Some folks also dose their seedlings with a diluted solution of nitrogen to promote foliage growth. But if you overdo it, the stalks can flop over and die before blooming.

A more natural approach is to mulch the area with loose, organic material that will slowly leach nutrients into the soil.

SOUTH AFRICAN BULBS GROWING CHART

Common Name (Botanic Name); Height; Color; Bloom Time

n Lily-of-the-Nile (Agapanthus); 2 to 5 feet; blue, white; summer

n Naked lady (Amaryllis belladonna); 18 inches to 2 feet; pink; late summer

n Baboon flower (Babiana); 3 inches to 1 foot; blue, purple, red, yellow, white; spring

n Chasmanthe (Chasmanthe floribunda); 3 feet; orange; summer

n Clivia (Clivia miniata); 1 to 2 feet; orange; spring

n Crinum (Crinum); 6 inches to 1 foot; pink, rose, white; summer

n Montbretia (Crocosmia); 2 to 3 feet; orange, red, yellow; summer

n Freesia (Freesia); 1 to 2 feet; white, pink, red, purple, yellow; spring

n South African gladiolus (Gladiolus tristis); 3 feet; yellow; spring

n Cape tulip (Homeria); 2 feet; salmon, yellow; spring

n Wand flower, African corn lily (Ixia); 1 to 2 feet; pink, red, yellow, orange, blue, white;

late spring

n Red-hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria); 2 to 3 feet; orange, yellow, red; summer

n Cape cowslip (Lachenalia); 5 to 15 inches; all colors; late winter

n Moraea (Moraea); 6 inches to 3 feet; white, green, yellow, purple, blue; spring

n Guernsey lily (Nerine sarniensis); 2 feet; red; early fall

n Chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides); 10 inches; white; spring

n Romulea (Romulea); 4 to 6 inches; yellow, white, rose; spring

n Harlequin flower (Sparaxis tricolor); 1 foot; white, red, purple, pink, yellow, orange;

spring

n Flame freesia (Tritonia crocata); 1 foot; orange; spring

n Velthemia (Velthemia bracteata); 1 foot; pink; summer

n Watsonia (Watsonia pyramidata); 4 to 6 feet; pink, red, white, purple, salmon; late spring

SOUTH AFRICAN BULBS FROM SEED

Few gardeners have the patience to grow South African bulbs from seed. The earliest that a species might produce flowers is three years. Some may take five years or longer.

However, if you have the time, it's an excellent — and economical — way to amass a collection.

The going can be complicated. First of all, South African bulb seeds are a rarity in the United States. Go online to South Africa sources, and you'll find that import/export regulations and currency conversions further muddy the mess.

Your simplest, safest bet may be to buy directly from the grand-daddy of all suppliers, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. The 2008 seed catalog lists more than 100 species and varieties, from agapanthus to watsonia. Prices are in South Africa Rand. A packet of 15 cape cowslip seeds, for example, sells for 7 R, or about one US dollar.

An additional reason to grow from seeds — instead of bulbs — is to counteract any confusion over the 180-day shift in seasons the bulbs encounter after crossing the equator. Buy from a U.S. supplier and that's not an issue. Order bulbs directly from South Africa and they will struggle to synchronize with our seasons.

But plant your exotic seeds in the fall, and they'll germinate during winter and fall right into our climatic annual rhythm.

Growing from seed also helps to protect bulbs still growing in the wild. In some parts of the world, aggressive collection of native bulbs has pushed certain species toward extinction. South Africa has strict conservation laws dictating who can collect wildflower bulbs and seeds, and when.

-- Joan S. Bolton

-- Joan S. Bolton

Joan S. Bolton is a local freelance writer and garden designer. Her In the Garden column appears regularly. She can be contacted through her Web site: www.santabarbaragardens.com.