Californ(icum) in Connecticut

[fundulopanchax]

Here is a Cyp californicum I received last fall. It had seven buds and overwintered here at -15 F very well. It is now up with seven very happy-looking stems and a single flower. I am thrilled to say the least. When I am 80 I look forward to 100 stems and 500 flowers.

It is in my usual inorganic medium. There is a very thin layer of hardwood mulch to help with moisture retention in that I have it in a spot that gets about 3 hours of sun in the morning. It looks like it may want a bit more sun as it leans toward the sun every morning and follows it up. I may install a soaker hose near it this fall and move it outward further.

Ron

 

[ORG]

Really a very nice species.
I would like to have it here in the garden.

Best greetings

Olaf

 

[biothanasis]

Amazing!!!!

 

[NYEric]

I would like to have it here in the garden.
Olaf

Wow, now there's a unique idea! oke:

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Great start Ron! Nice of you to share your experience with it, especially since it is considered not very cold tolerant. Obviously it is a bit more than folks might have imagined.

 

[fundulopanchax]

What emboldened me about trying it outside (I traded a rather valuable plant for it) is that I spoke to a person in Canada, in zone 3 I believe, who has kept one outside for a couple of years and it has done well. So I figured zone 5 would work (but when it hit -15F for three nights in a row, I did look at its bed out the window wondering just how insane I might have been!

Ron

 

[parvi_17]

That's gorgeous! I want one.

What emboldened me about trying it outside (I traded a rather valuable plant for it) is that I spoke to a person in Canada, in zone 3 I believe, who has kept one outside for a couple of years and it has done well. So I figured zone 5 would work (but when it hit -15F for three nights in a row, I did look at its bed out the window wondering just how insane I might have been!

Ron

I know a guy in Calgary (zone 3) who grows these outside. There it can get to -40 F!