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Albey
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:49 pm Posts: 831 Location: Christchurch NZ USDA Zone: 9b
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Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
Hi there, While on holiday last week in the north island of New Zealand, i came across this beautiful plant and took some photos of it. I have not seen it here in Christchurch. Has anyone got any experience growing this plant in the UK - How much frost can it take ?
_________________ Rod.
Hottest Month 23.5°c / 14.0°c
Coldest Month 11.5°c / 3.0°c
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 9:11 am |
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davidmdzn7
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:01 pm Posts: 412 Location: Maryland, USA
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
There's a somewhat famous one in the temperate house at Kew. I believe it can be grown at Tresco - Kev said pictures were coming soon - but I do not believe they are at all common in UK gardens. I'm a bit surprised they are not seen in the mild parts of the South Island like Christchurch. You might be a bit more prone to light freezes than Tresco, but you are warmer and somewhat sunnier year round, and surely have more GDDs. Maybe too many light freezes are a problem for them. Are Furcraeas and Puyas common in Christchurch? There were a couple Furcraeas at the Miramar English-style garden in San Sebastian, Spain.
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 11:26 am |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
Beautiful pictures Rod, that second one especially, the Scilly isles does have them David and they were on my second set from Tresco
I cannot remember seeing any in Cornwall though our local crew maybe able to pinpoint one that I may have missed. I did see a Doryanthes at Hardy Exotics a nursery at Penzance, inside a polytunnel, but 2010 and -8c completely zapped it however when we called 3 weeks ago it was green again assuming it was the same plant.
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 11:40 am |
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stevenbrown
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:15 am Posts: 310 Location: Edenfield lancashire UK
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
There was one growing in Fox-Rosehill gardens Falmouth Cornwall, it was years ago the last time I saw it & it has to be said it was not a good looking specimen, I doubt it is there now.
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 1:47 pm |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
Saw it in the park on Madeira around the small lake, tried it here and it did a cheshire cat impression (looked less than wonderful and got smaller every year until one year it was gone!)
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 3:56 pm |
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Albey
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:49 pm Posts: 831 Location: Christchurch NZ USDA Zone: 9b
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
_________________ Rod.
Hottest Month 23.5°c / 14.0°c
Coldest Month 11.5°c / 3.0°c
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 5:42 pm |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
I remember Richard at the Dry Garden had a variegated one. It had rotted its roots in a heavy mix from soucal...he then replanted in a lighter mix. After a year,it looked good.
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:26 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
Here is the one I was referring too after -8c
and a year later
So kept in a greenhouse in mainland Uk they maybe ok but hardly worth the bother considering the size you have to get them before they flower.
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:18 pm |
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davidmdzn7
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:01 pm Posts: 412 Location: Maryland, USA
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
Interesting damage report, thanks! Leaf spotting makes me wonder if a pathogen stepped in towards the end. I'm trying to remember if I saw one of these on Isola Brissago. Certainly, with a Norfolk Island Pine in that garden, they would not be too out of reach. Slightly OT but this article contains a delightful copy editing fail: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/famil ... aming.htmlI now want to see this film "Archipelago" if it's on DVD here. I think 1/2 the reason I watched Doc Martin was for the Cornish scenery!
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:28 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
Amusing little piece David quite funny how she tells you that its Tresco not Tesco and then 2 sentences goes on to spell Fuertaventura wrongly Fuerteventura A quaint series called focused on the Scilly Isles which certainly gives you an idea of life in this region, it is worth viewing, though I suppose its not something you will be able to see easily in the U.S.
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:05 pm |
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Marc H
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 7:59 pm Posts: 233 Location: aberthaw
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
A friend of mine who lives in Christchurch NZ says they had a frost of -9C this winter which I thought was amazing where Cordyline australis is native. Photos of his garden showed less damage than one would have expected from the same sort of low for me. Rarity of day frosts he says.
His Furcraea quicheensis are of the same provenance as the seed I offered about on the swap page a month or so ago. Since the F.parmentieri/bedinghousii types that I grow outside here would be killed outright in -9C I think the taxon has great potential, seeing his large plants with only a little leaf tip damage.
Doryanthes palmeri came through the 1987 winter on Tresco as I recall, and I remember the one at Fox-Rosehill which is a fine Garden (is thelarge Cordyline indivisa still there?) I bought some seeds from Oz which germinated and grew on very easily with a claim from the supplier that they would go down to around -5C, but I didn't manage to get them through the hard winter which followed. I sent one to a garden in far west nearly frost-free Kerry which stil grows very slowly and is desperate for a little heat. I still think it would be worth growing if only one could find larger plants for sale. Anyone know of a source?
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Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:12 pm |
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Albey
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:49 pm Posts: 831 Location: Christchurch NZ USDA Zone: 9b
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
_________________ Rod.
Hottest Month 23.5°c / 14.0°c
Coldest Month 11.5°c / 3.0°c
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Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:02 am |
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davidmdzn7
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:01 pm Posts: 412 Location: Maryland, USA
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
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Mon Nov 05, 2012 8:02 am |
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Aloeysius
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:16 pm Posts: 193 Location: The Netherlands
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
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Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:07 pm |
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Albey
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:49 pm Posts: 831 Location: Christchurch NZ USDA Zone: 9b
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Re: Doryanthes palmeri ( Spear Lily )
_________________ Rod.
Hottest Month 23.5°c / 14.0°c
Coldest Month 11.5°c / 3.0°c
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Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:27 am |
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