The Rarest of Rare - Hello 'Blue Chilean Crocus'

Tecophilaea cyanocrocus ssp leictlinii, a true-blue flower that comes from a tiny corm. Nearly extinct ( or extinct in the wild) this is a plant that today, only exists in private collections.  It is the Panda Bear of the plant world.

This rarely seen bulb (corm) is one of the real treasures of the plant world. Tecophilaea provides a refreshing burst of true blue to a winter bulb collection ( and will award you with gasps from your friends, or even from the real hortiphiles, as I found out today as we hosted our annual Winter Bash for the American Primula Society. People simply love the color blue, and the plantsmen love it's rareness.

Tecophileae cyanocrocus is considered by many experts as being extinct in the wild due to farming, commercial water use and climatic change, but remains in many collections around the world. We do know that it it is not extinct, it is certainly rarely found in the wilds of Chile anymore.  Today, it  is one of the most desirable bulb plants in the world, if only for its amazing azure color, but surely for its rarity. They can be grown from seed if one has a cool greenhouse, but by far, the easiest way to get success will be to order corms in late summer. Not hardy in cold northern areas, some have survived winters in southern England, and Ireland, or in the US where the summers are dry ( Northern California perhaps?). Beyond that, these are only worth growing under the protection of a cold glass or alpine house.

CORMS MUST BE ORDERED IN JULY OR AUGUST, AND PLANTED IN SEPTEMBER BEFORE THE BEGIN ANY GROWTH. USE A QUICK DRAINING SOIL ( I USE GRAVEL AS THE LAYER BELOW THE CORMS) SINCE THESE BULBS DEMAND EXCELLENT DRAINAGE. FERTILIZE AFTER BLOOMING WITH A 0.5.5 analysis FERTILIZER TO ENCOURAGE CORM GROWTH FOR NEXT YEAR. ALLOW POTS TO GO DORMANT AND DRY FOR THE SUMMER.

There have been reports lately of a native population being found, but this has not been confirmed - regardless, this is indeed a rare plant. Unique in not only the bulb world for its blue tint, it is also unique in the plant kingdom. Not truly a crocus at all, it's common name comes from the shape of its' blossoms, which some might say, are crocus-like, although both are classified as being members of the larger plant family, Iridaceae, the iris family. Corms are sometimes available from specialty sources such as Telos Rare Bulbs, and Paul Christian Rare Plants, but be prepared to pay for rarity - two years ago corms sold for $60-75 each, last year, $25. each. This year, some were available for $18.00 each.

Growing and Forcing Belgian Endive

BELGIAN ENDIVE, TOTEM F1 AVAILABLE FROM JOHNNY'S SELECTED SEEDS, IS AN EASY-To-GROW FRESH VEGGIE TO GROW FOR MID-WINTER SALADS, AND IT NEVER HAS SEEN A PLANE.

Growing Belgian Endive at home, is easier than you might think, yet looking back at these photos, I realized how long it takes (9-10 months), before one can harvest a crop. Even though it seems like like long time to wait for a harvest, the labor involved is minimal. If you are looking for another way to augment your winter storage vegetables like roots, potatoes and cabbage, and you are craving something really fresh-picked, why no grow a crop of Belgian Endive - truly a low carbon crop for fresh winter salads. One sows seed in March or April, a little thinning a weeding in May and June, no fertilizer or water needed in the summer, and then ones digs the roots up in October. A day to dry off in the sun, and then the roots are potted up in a long-tom clay pot, and placed in the root cellar until December, when one relocated them to a warmer, yet dark place to spout. Following, are some photos of the entire process.

BELGIAN ENDIVE SEED MUST BE PLANTED AS SOON AS THE GROUND CAN BE WORKED - HERE IN NEW ENGLAND,  THIS CAN BE MID-MARCH.

In the 1700's and 1800's if one wanted fresh vegetables in the winter months, one had to plan months ahead, potting up plants to force in root cellars and hot beds, a common practice on private estates and on family farms. In Europe, methods of growing and then forcing chicories and endives for winter harvests started in the 1600's, yet today, the process has been somewhat modified and modernized, the results are basically exactly the same. Belgian endive that is forced in barns that are blacked-out so the no light at all can turn the chicons green, still provide harvests of endive for modern supermarkets. But if you are looking for a sustainable crop that will provide you with fresh vegetables in the winter

SEED SHOULD BE SOWN THINLY, SO THERE IS MINIMAL HAND-THINNING, WHICH CAN DISTURB THE ANGLE OF THE TAP ROOT. ONE WANTS TO HARVEST LONG, THICK ROOTS IN THE AUTUMN.

YOUNG ENDIVE LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE THE COMMON DANDELION, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, ALSO AN ENDIVE.

IN MID SUMMER, KEEPING WEEDS AT BAY, WILL BE THE ONLY CHORE. BELGIAN ENDIVE PREFERS LEAN SANDY SOIL THAT DRAINS WELL, WITH VERY LITTLE FERTILIZER. LOW NITROGEN MEANS STRONGER ROOTS, AND LITTLE WATER WILL FORCE ROOTS TO LOOK DEEPER FOR MOISTURE.

JUST BEFORE A HARD FROST, WHICH FOR US, OFTEN MEANS LATE OCTOBER, THE ROOTS ARE CAREFULLY DUG UP.

THE VARIETY I GREW, TOTEM F1 FROM JOHNNY'S SELECTED SEEDS, IS A CHOICE VARIETY FOR NORTHERN GROWERS. ROOTS ARE ALLOWED TO DRY FOR A DAY, AND THE LONG TIPS ARE CUT OFF, AS WELL AS THE FOLIAGE. ROOTS ARE POTTED UP SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER IN A LONG TOM, OR A DEEP CLAY POT. HERE IS WHERE THINGS CAN GO WRONG.

THE POTTED ROOTS ARE WRAPPED IN A CLOTH TO BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT -  I USED BLACK VELVET BLACK OUT CLOTH, AND THE ENTIRE POT IS SET IN A COOL, DARK PLACE UNTIL READY TO FORCE. DON'T WAIT TOO LONG, THE LAST HARVEST SHOULD BE AROUND FEB.1ST.

I START POTS AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME BY MOVING THEM TO A PITCH BACK, YET WARM LOCATION, LIKE A CLOSET OR A CELLAR WAY, WHERE TEMPS ARE AROUND 68 DEG. F.

IT ONLY TAKES A FEW WEEKS FOR THE CHICONS TO SPROUT. IF YOU USE A BLACK PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG TO BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT, CHECK DAILY FOR MOLD OR DECAY. SHOOTS CAN BE CUT OFF JUST ABOVE THE ROOT TOP, AND A SECOND CROP WITH FEWER LEAVES CAN BE HARVESTED IN A FEW WEEKS.

Today we hosted the New England chapter of the American Primula Society for a mid-winter bash. We presented this first pot of Belgian Endive to Jacques Mommens, ( who is from Belgium), and he was very moved by his gift. As an active member of The National Rock Garden Society and the American Primrose Society, Jacques is a dear friend of many alpine plant enthusiasts across the country, and we are always thrilled when he braves his long journey from New York to come to one of our events.

Winter Blues

Solenostemon thyrisoides, a winter-blooming old fashioned conservatory plant, rarely seen today in any collections blooms on a sunny January day in the greenhouse.

Every gardener should have at least one plant in their garden that stops even the most snooty of plantista's in their tracks, forcing them to ask you "Oh my gosh, what is that?!" Here is one plant that may indeed to that, although it is a winter-blooming tender plant intended for growing in the greenhouse.  The best part is, it isn't really all that rare - it's a coleus. A green-leaved, almost succulent form grown for centuries by plantsmen for it's blue flowers in January and February which brought that special color to conservatory displays and garden rooms to brighten even the snowiest of winter days. 

First introduced to Europe in 1875 by Veitch, this pretty yet rather free-growing ( i.e. branchy and not very attractive) plant does have two qualities that keeps it in private collections - it blooms smack in the middle of winter, and those flowers? They just happen to exist in the most incredible shade of a deep true blue - the sort of blue one only sees in morning glories and cobalt glass. 

It's greatest downfall may very well be it's scent; and it doesn't come from its lovely blossoms, for they have no scent, but this plants scent  (actually, a 'smell') comes from it's leaves - a sticky mixture of chum, sardines and cod liver oil, with just a spritz of turpentine. I kind of like it, actually, only because it reminds me past experiences with this plant, and how it used to bloom in old wood and glass greenhouses in wintertime. It's just part of that entire experience.  

Don't be too confused with the Latin name, for it seems to change annually. It belongs to a clan of plants that just keep getting moved around from one plant family to another ( all within Lamaceae - the mist family- you know, all the plants that have square stems). I know it as a coleus, yet it was classified as Plectranthus as recently as five years ago, and now, pushed over into a genus named Solenostemon ( don't worry, I still call them all coleus too). 

You may need to Google all three genus names to fine this species online, if you want to buy one. Logee's greenhouses sells them, yet I don't see it on their mail order list, you would need to call them ( I know they have it for sale, I saw some yesterday). They list it as Coleus thyrsoides, and Glass House Works sells them listed as Plectranthus thyrsoides, and also as Solenostemon thyrsoides. Regardless of what you call it, this continues to be a fine flowering plant for winter windowsills, and especially in cold greenhouses where it really shines.

Plants can be grown from cuttings ( the Logee's plants have bee growing from the same cuttings for over 100 years), but I have recently read that the finest plants are grown from seed, since the plant is formally classified as an annual. I found seed for sale from the South African seed firm of Silver Hill Seeds, which ships worldwide, yet there may very well be a few other sources. It's not necessarily common, but one can find most anything with seven Google searches, right?