Eucomis bicolor sprouting

[Barry]

I took the flower stem off my Sparkling Burgundy last year and stored it in the conservatory, but it doesn't seem to have produced seed.

Same here,nothing at all.

Maybe Sparkling Burgundy is sterile

Rhs seem to think not;


http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=4826

[JoelR]

I've germinated E. bicolor seedlings too but I mixed bought seed with collected seed so can't say which have germinated. Sparkling Burgundy is a form of E. comosa so resulting seed might revert to green but could still produce some interesting forms. I've never dared to leave mine out but over a few years it has produced offsets.

[simon]

E. bicolor has self seeded for me but Sparkling Burgundy, Zeal Bronze and Pole Evansii never have. I collected the seedlings from around the base of the plant and potted them up until they were bigger, then planted them back out.

I've had a couple of 'Sparkling Burgundy' outside, one for 5 years, the other in a pot under a Dicksonia antarctica over last winter, and it's just starting to show, but they don't seem to multiply by bulbs, where as bicolor does.

They do but I think thay are slower. My sparkling burgundy bulb has multiplied into 3 heads from the original 1. I think it was after about 4 to 5 years from planting out.

[chrismc]

Mine arnt showing any movement i'm getting impatient as well. BTW i do have a load of seed from last year so if anyone wants any drop me a line

[chrismc]

Mine arnt showing any movement i'm getting impatient as well. BTW i do have a load of seed from last year so if anyone wants any drop me a line

[Lys]

Mine are just poking new shoots through the soil outside at the moment. They seem to thrive here with little attention, in well drained soil next to a rampantly spreading Euphorbia. When they form a large clump I split them and replant shallowly. Have also bought as bulbs when the garden centres have sold them off cheaply at the end of the planting season.

[Dave Brown]

E. bicolor has self seeded for me but Sparkling Burgundy, Zeal Bronze and Pole Evansii never have. I collected the seedlings from around the base of the plant and potted them up until they were bigger, then planted them back out.

I've had a couple of 'Sparkling Burgundy' outside, one for 5 years, the other in a pot under a Dicksonia antarctica over last winter, and it's just starting to show, but they don't seem to multiply by bulbs, where as bicolor does.

They do but I think thay are slower. My sparkling burgundy bulb has multiplied into 3 heads from the original 1. I think it was after about 4 to 5 years from planting out.

I wonder if the named varieties are later to flower, therefore need a longer season to set seed. Sparkling Burgundy was August to October flower last year