Crinum Lily

[Jcalvin]

I recently ordered 2 Queen Emma pups from a seller on eBay. I planted both of them in 1 gallon pot with potting soil, mixed with some black kow and chipped pine mulch (about a 80/10/10blend). I keep them in about 6/8 hours of sunlight, and I keep the soil moist- never drying out. 

 

I’ve lost one for no apparent reason. Maybe it had a weak root or something. The other one is growing very slowly. It’s grown maybe 1 inch in about a month. Every other crinum Pup (not an Emma) I have transplanted has grown a lot faster. 

Is the slower growing of the plant just a trait of the Queen Emma, or did I just buy two duds? Any advice on encouraging faster growth? I’m kind of hesitant adding any kind of strong fertilizer at this point. 

Edited August 31, 2019 by Jcalvin

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/31/2019 at 9:07 PM, Jcalvin said:

I recently ordered 2 Queen Emma pups from a seller on eBay. I planted both of them in 1 gallon pot with potting soil, mixed with some black kow and chipped pine mulch (about a 80/10/10blend). I keep them in about 6/8 hours of sunlight, and I keep the soil moist- never drying out. 

 

I’ve lost one for no apparent reason. Maybe it had a weak root or something. The other one is growing very slowly. It’s grown maybe 1 inch in about a month. Every other crinum Pup (not an Emma) I have transplanted has grown a lot faster. 

Is the slower growing of the plant just a trait of the Queen Emma, or did I just buy two duds? Any advice on encouraging faster growth? I’m kind of hesitant adding any kind of strong fertilizer at this point. 

Expand  

Totally possible one was a dud.. and the other is just slow to get going.  W/ out any pics, its hard to say exactly what might be happening.   The one that is growing.. slowly  could be focusing it's energy on building up a bulb before pushing alot of top growth atm.  Have several offsets of another  Crinum sp. that have been doing just that since i'd seperated them into seperate pots 2 years ago.  Slowly adding size, but could be moving a bit faster.. Wouldn't advise adding any fertilizer, just be sure it stays moist but not wet, and keep an eye on it.  Don't recall offsets of  Queen Emma being terribly slow to get going compared to regular ol C. asiaticum, others.. but speed in which it progresses could come down to what size the offset was you were sent.. smaller will generally take longer to get going though.

That said,  Have had this happen w/ other Crinum / other bulb producing plants i had where some offsets i took just didn't want to do much of anything and just peetered out over time.  In the case of my C. jagus, the bulbs caught some sort of rot i didn't catch until it was too late. Lost ones i'd thought were still good, even after treating w/ sulfur, washing with Peroxide and placing in pumice to encourage better air circulation / drainage while stimulating new growth.   Plants are weird sometimes. 

[Jcalvin]

  On 9/1/2019 at 5:19 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Totally possible one was a dud.. and the other is just slow to get going.  W/ out any pics, its hard to say exactly what might be happening.   The one that is growing.. slowly  could be focusing it's energy on building up a bulb before pushing alot of top growth atm.  Have several offsets of another  Crinum sp. that have been doing just that since i'd seperated them into seperate pots 2 years ago.  Slowly adding size, but could be moving a bit faster.. Wouldn't advise adding any fertilizer, just be sure it stays moist but not wet, and keep an eye on it.  Don't recall offsets of  Queen Emma being terribly slow to get going compared to regular ol C. asiaticum, others.. but speed in which it progresses could come down to what size the offset was you were sent.. smaller will generally take longer to get going though.

That said,  Have had this happen w/ other Crinum / other bulb producing plants i had where some offsets i took just didn't want to do much of anything and just peetered out over time.  In the case of my C. jagus, the bulbs caught some sort of rot i didn't catch until it was too late. Lost ones i'd thought were still good, even after treating w/ sulfur, washing with Peroxide and placing in pumice to encourage better air circulation / drainage while stimulating new growth.   Plants are weird sometimes. 

Expand  

Here’s a couple pics. As you can see, it was a small pup. Since I’ve planted it, it’s grown one new leaf. 

I sure hope it’s focusing all it’s energy into growing a bulb. I think the next time I buy one, I’ll just by a bulb and not a pup. 

[Jcalvin]

[GDLWyverex]

I didn't realize that there were sooooo many varieties of crinum

I have a rather large happy crinum that stands a bit over 2 meters tall

and I wonder what type it may be.

Thanks

 

Richard

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/3/2019 at 3:18 PM, GDLWyverex said:

I didn't realize that there were sooooo many varieties of crinum

I have a rather large happy crinum that stands a bit over 2 meters tall

and I wonder what type it may be.

Thanks

 

Richard

Expand  

Almost certain thats "Queen Emma"  Nice specimen too.  C. jagus, aka St. Christopher's Lily is one of my fav sp. 

As for species,  most occur in the old world ( Asia, Africa.. specifically S. Africa )  Many hybrids / cultivars also. Pretty adaptable as well. Great companion plants.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Silas_Sancona
Edit.

[jimmyt]

I have one like that too.   Kept in a pot.  It is about 5 ft tall.  Same color and flowers.  It is impressive when it blooms!

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/1/2019 at 7:04 PM, Jcalvin said:

Expand  

Definately keep an eye on it.. if its out where it gets soaked frequently atm, maybe place it where it will dry out a little more between waterings for now.. Should be good by next spring, just bring it in if your area drops below freezing over the winter. If for some reason it doesn't pull through, i'm sure there are forum members in FL. who might be able to share acouple more mature offsets next year.  

[Jcalvin]

So, I finally just decided to buy a decent sized plant. It had a little rust on it, so I trimmed the lower, infected leaves and sprayed it down with a little anti-fungal spray. 

Now I just need to find a place to plant it. 

[Jcalvin]

Here’s another picture of my Crinum Asiaticum. I got this as a pup off my mom’s huge plant about 5 months ago. It’s grown fairly fast. 

[Manalto]

Those are beautiful crinums. If I may I may piggyback on this thread, I'd like to ask two questions: first, do you have any suggestions for favorite crinums that would do well in the southeast? Also, I have seen no mention of fragrance. Are they strong and are they pleasant? That would make a difference where they would be positioned in the garden.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/30/2019 at 10:49 PM, Manalto said:

Those are beautiful crinums. If I may I may piggyback on this thread, I'd like to ask two questions: first, do you have any suggestions for favorite crinums that would do well in the southeast? Also, I have seen no mention of fragrance. Are they strong and are they pleasant? That would make a difference where they would be positioned in the 

Expand  

There should be a few you could look into since Plant Delights, and a couple mail order places I have casually looked over, are located there in the South.  A number of sp. / cultivars listed by Plant Delights are listed to 6b, so you should be fine. 

As far as fragrance, flowers of C. jagus, aka: St. Christopher's Lily  are nice..  almost a Vanilla /  warm Chocolate, with hints of Cinnamon or Allspice sort of scent.. That said, you might be sure plants you  acquire produce fragrant flowers since I have heard fragrance of some clones is weak or lacking all together.  While listed to 9a by various sources, have heard of these surviving for multiple years in 8b..  Can't speak for any of the other Crinum I have / have grown since none have flowered yet.  Fragrance of  C. asiaticum smelled like Jasmine to my nose. Kind of strong up close from what I remember. 

Switching subjects for a sec, what ever happened w/ the Orange Brugsmansia you'd discussed earlier in the year? 

[Manalto]

I'm impressed that you remember the brugmansia! I had a family emergency up north and had to leave for most of the summer. When I returned in August the brugmansia had dropped all its leaves but was beginning to leaf out again. My neighbors told me there had been an extended drought, unusual for Mobile, and I suspect that was the reason. (The white brugmansia that I brought to Connecticut with me bloomed prodigiously.) I'll be back in Mobile in December so will learn then if it has survived. I hope so, it was from Logee's Greenhouse and their stuff is pricey.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/30/2019 at 11:50 PM, Manalto said:

I'm impressed that you remember the brugmansia! I had a family emergency up north and had to leave for most of the summer. When I returned in August the brugmansia had dropped all its leaves but was beginning to leaf out again. My neighbors told me there had been an extended drought, unusual for Mobile, and I suspect that was the reason. (The white brugmansia that I brought to Connecticut with me bloomed prodigiously.) I'll be back in Mobile in December so will learn then if it has survived. I hope so, it was from Logee's Greenhouse and their stuff is pricey.

Expand  

Gotcha,  hope it survived as well..  At least you have neighbors who might take a peek at it, if you asked.  

  I hear ya regarding picking up something from a nursery which charges for its rarity ( ..or what they believe is rare.. ).  Have a few things i've been tempted to pick up from them and a couple other places but decided to hold off until later. As long as current plans stay on track, will be back in CA. before next summer. With what experiences I have had w/ loosing ..even relatively hardy / native stuff here due to the heat, not gonna add to the already long list of casualties, lol.. 

[greysrigging]

Crinum Asiatiacum's are planted extensively in Darwin as a median strip and round-about plant on all the major arterial roads into our City. Used in conjunction with mass plantings of Caribbean Spider Lillies and ornamental lime green/yellow leafed Sweet Potatoes. We can't grow Agapanthus in our climate ( used in mass plantings in our southern colder climes ), so we use Crinum and Hymenocallis instead.
We have a native Crinum ( pendunculatum ) in the Darwin region, known locally as a 'Swamp Lilly'. I dig 'em up out bush and have 'em planted all through my yard. For me they are the first sign of the change of seasons from the 'dry' to the impending 'wet', with the first new leaves appearing now and then flower stalks ( scented too ) after the first coupla downpours.

[tropicbreeze]

There's about 8 species of Crinum in the NT, some endemic. The common ones around Darwin are C. uniflorum and C. arenarium (the one in the above photo). The latter, until recently was called C. angustifolium. They're not usually seen in cultivation probably because of being deciduous, but they're easily grown from seed.

C. pedunculatum is a Qld plant, although some have been reported from the far eastern NT. However, it's common in Darwin nurseries.

[greysrigging]

  On 10/1/2019 at 9:10 PM, tropicbreeze said:

There's about 8 species of Crinum in the NT, some endemic. The common ones around Darwin are C. uniflorum and C. arenarium (the one in the above photo). The latter, until recently was called C. angustifolium. They're not usually seen in cultivation probably because of being deciduous, but they're easily grown from seed.

C. pedunculatum is a Qld plant, although some have been reported from the far eastern NT. However, it's common in Darwin nurseries.

Expand  

Cheers for the correct ID mate.... and yes, the seeds strike easily. Also the commom Crinum Caterpillar feeds on this species, and you really don't want them in your garden as they will feed on other desireable exotic Crinum species, often killing the plants.
 
Crinum or Lily Grubs
These tiny caterpillars (Spodoptera picta) burrow into the centre of crinum lilies, eating out the succulent heart of the plant. But don’t make the mistake of thinking their diet is limited to crinum species. They find hippeastrum, clivea and agapanthus equally appealing. Young caterpillars have black and white stripes, but mature caterpillars develop yellow stripes. The adult is a medium-sized brown and cream moth. Over the autumn and winter period, crinum grubs can eat out the heart of plants. What remains simply rots away. Clear away any old foliage and drench the centre of plants with molasses and water (1 tblspn per litre water). The drench should come in contact with the grub. Retreat regularly as moths revisit plants to lay new infestations.

[Jcalvin]

  On 9/30/2019 at 10:49 PM, Manalto said:

Those are beautiful crinums. If I may I may piggyback on this thread, I'd like to ask two questions: first, do you have any suggestions for favorite crinums that would do well in the southeast? Also, I have seen no mention of fragrance. Are they strong and are they pleasant? That would make a difference where they would be positioned in the garden.

Expand  

There are a lot crinum that fair well in 8b (at least 8b along the Atlantic coast from Savannah to Nahunta, Nahunta to Maclenney, Fl). I’ve got a Asiaticum, Americanum, and an augustum. 

Queen Emma is suppose to be one of the less cold hardy crinum. Some say that it will die back if it’s not in 9b, but I’ve seen a few in 8b that are leaf hardy: Savannah, Ga, Waycross, Ga, Live Oak, Fl, Destin, Fl. 

 

By far my favorite is the purple leaved Queen Emma. But, I’ve seen so many hybrids, that I’m sure there are some that are just a pretty and exotic. 

[Jcalvin]

Here’s an update on the smaller one. It’s grown a little bit; not much too growth- just one new leaf coming out of the middle-  but it’s grown in width and actually looks like it’s put a little more color on. I took it out of the shade and placed it in the sun. I’ve only watered it about once a week. 

[Reyes Vargas]

  On 10/5/2019 at 5:39 PM, Jcalvin said:

Here’s an update on the smaller one. It’s grown a little bit; not much too growth- just one new leaf coming out of the middle-  but it’s grown in width and actually looks like it’s put a little more color on. I took it out of the shade and placed it in the sun. I’ve only watered it about once a week. 

Expand  

Any updates on this one?  Hope it pulled through.

Edited May 11, 2021 by Reyes Vargas

[Jcalvin]

  On 5/11/2021 at 5:59 PM, Reyes Vargas said:

Any updates on this one?  Hope it pulled through.

Expand  

1st pic-

update on the offset: I’ve moved it out of mostly full sun and placed it in filtered sunlight about a 2 months ago. The sun completely scorched it and it died back to the ground. . I’ve also started fertilizing it with a blackcow mix and fish emulsion. 

2nd pic: decent sized Queen Emma

this is actually a little embarrassing to admit, but I completely dropped the ball on this plant’s care. I planted it in September of 2019 in my front yard with full sun about 75% of the day. It did pretty well the first fall and winter of 2019, and the spring of 2020. But, summer came around and burnt it to the ground. I transplanted it into a shadier spot (filtered sunlight) about a month ago, so I’m positive this thing will look as graceful and exotic as it did when I bought it. Like I said: it’s embarrassing looking at the before and after photos. 
 

3rd pics: these are just a few of the Asiaticums I have in the yard. Most were started last year or the year before. They seem to take direct sunlight and less water a lot better than the other Crinums I have. They were have the size they are now, and the pictures really don’t do these guys justice (they are humongous). 
 

4th pic: I just learned that the Crinum blooming is a C. Jagus, thanks to Silas_Sancona. This will be their 2nd summer in the ground. I fertilize with a little black cow, and the soil stays rather wet to moist in the area of the yard where they’re planted. They stay in the shade most of the day, but get evening sunlight at about 5pm.  The other pics are of a couple Spider Lilies on the verge of blooming.