The biggest $10 bulb I ever bought

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This is Crinum powellii alba, from Bill the Bulb Baron. For $10, I was expecting something around the size of a turnip. Instead I got something larger than a softball. This is a hybrid of two South African species, C. bulbispermum x C. moorei. It repeat blooms with long stalks of multiple lily-shaped, white, fragrant flowers.



There are Crinums known from every continent, including Antarctica (as fossils.) There are some beautiful ones native to the southeastern US.

Crinums are mostly fully hardy here in Phoenix. Many hybrids are hard far north into the US.

I also got an xAmarcrinum from Bill. It was a little smaller, and cost more. I forgot I did take a photo of both. The xAmarcrinum is on the right.



The yellow things lying around are dates falling off the palm overhead. We had a pretty good storm a couple of days ago. Even Lulu is so full of fallen dates she stopped eating them.

A couple of years ago I brought home from Miami a walnut-sized seed of Crinum asiaticum. I posted about it here: Giant Spider Lily - Crinum asiaticum

Here it is today:



I just read it's hardy to Zone 8, so it's going into the ground today, too.