[pbs] Ferraria--PBS TOW
Lee Poulsen
wpoulsen at pacbell.net
Tue Dec 21 14:07:10 EST 2004
I know I've said something like this before about a few other species,
but this genus grows so easily here for me in the inland valleys of
southern California that I virtually ignore it until it blooms, which
it does every year. F. crispa in particular grows almost like a weed,
and I think that it could easily escape and naturalize if it were sold
at the regular nurseries. It also, as Jim Shields mentioned, produces
huge numbers of offsets. The other species aren't quite as prolific for
me.
The flowers on all of them have similar intricate features with highly
frilled edges. F. crispa also has a characteristic scent that to me
smells a little bit like chocolate at first, but with an unpleasant
fetid undertone. This scent is very attractive to flies I've noticed.
I basically give most of them no care whatsoever. Offsets that fall out
of the pot will sprout wherever they are in the fall. I've started
several other species from seeds, but none of them have reached
flowering age yet, so I can't say much about them.
--Lee
More information about the pbs
mailing list