SC - RE: THE ALIEN PLANT

[RANDALL DIAMOND]

>>>>Also, I have been looking for what I call "The Alien
Plant"... it is a plant very similar to the Amarillys,
except that the leaves form at the TOP of a thick
flower stalk, and the trumpet shaped flowers hang down
beneath it.  Very intriguing, and a "must have" for my
naturalizing beds (even if it doesn't naturalize, it
would sure look cool amongst a bed of toad lillies and
stargazers...)

Balthazar of Blackmoor<<<<<

This rather definitely sounds like one of the fritullaries.  I
would venture that you are describing a Crown Imperial
Fritullary.   It is quite unique among bulbed varieties and
indeed has the leaves characteristically over the flowers
on a tall, thick, amarillys-type stalk rising from a base of
short lily-like leaves.  Very few other bulbs are so very
extraordinarily different in their growth habit that one could
apply "alien" to the description. It comes in two colours, red
or yellow (the yellow being termed "lutea" at the end of the
Latin name.   You usually plant these in the fall with tulips. I
doubt that you will find bulbs this time of year that are any good.
I have grown these and find that you need to plant new ones
every year (in my climate anyway).  These were the absolute
rage in late Tudor gardens for their spectaclar oddity.   The
bulbs are usually available at premium nurseries in early fall.
They are quite enourmous, about the size of a respectable
avocado.  Do not be surprised at the extremely unpleasant
odor of the bulbs themselves (exactly like very fresh dog shit)
or the alien rootlets (they look like they are vegetable feathers).
Fortuately the smell does not permeate the above ground parts
of the plant.  And, oh yes, they are quite expensive too; more than
Calla lilies by far.   If you want to naturalize fritullaries, I suggest you
seek out the smaller "snake's head" fritullary with bulbs about the
size of chickpeas.  These lack the stature of the larger types, but
the purple flowers are two-toned and CHECKERED of all things
in a patterning of purple and whitish lilac squares.
Crown Imperials are a wonderful plant for the vegetable garden
(obligatory food content) as they will absolutely chase any burrowing
voles, moles, gophers and other such garden pests out of the garden
for a 10 foot radius around each bulb.

Akim Yaroslavich
"No glory comes without pain"