[pbs] Re: Watsonia bulbifera
Lee Poulsen
wpoulsen at pacbell.net
Mon Aug 4 15:05:36 EDT 2003
Mary Sue (and Bob),
I'm glad you pointed this out. I had no idea of the problem with this
particular species in mediterranean climates! I only have a single
pot of it, and it did form some corms along the stalk here as well. I
also personally didn't think it looked as good in flower as many
other Watsonias do. But since I know that some things are a matter of
personal taste, and that some people want to try new things or get
every species in a given genus, I didn't want the extra corms, so I
sent them to Dell. Of course those who have to give it protection
won't have a problem with it. But I think I'm just going to dispose
of the whole plant.
I'm not sure where I got the originals from--it was from some online
offer--but no one mentioned its problems then...
Thanks again,
--Lee
>Dear John,
>
>The Watsonias are crowding out the beautiful native plants along
>highway One. I know that you have a fondness for Watsonia, but this
>one because it produces all those cormlets in the stalk and seed and
>expands below as well is a menace. The cormlets get projected out a
>way and soon the area expands dramatically so all you see for quite
>a distance is Watsonia and much of the year dead Watsonia leaves
>which aren't attractive at all. No one comes along the road to cut
>back those leaves and destroy the corms so every year they expand.
>And to my mind the flower on this species is not dramatic for very
>long. It is rare that I have seen it looking very attractive when I
>have passed it on the highway. There are some Watsonias that have
>also naturalized along our coast that are really very pretty for
>several weeks in the spring. Their clumps expand where they have
>been planted, but you don't see the area around them in every
>direction become solid Watsonias.
>
>I wish there was a way that nurseries were prohibited from selling
>this species to anyone in California and hope Lee will never plant
>his out. When I explained the problem to Jim Duggan he took this
>species out of his catalog and I appreciate Lauw doing this as well.
>If we know that a plant can be a problem in one temperate
>Mediterranean climate it seems important to do what we can to
>prevent it becoming a problem in any others.
>
>Mary Sue
>
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