This crinum lily was growing in a friend's garden at about 1000 m elevation at Genting Highlands near Kuala Lumpur where the climate is noticeably cooler than in Kuala Lumpur. I transferred some bulbs to the Secret Garden of 1 Utama (climatically in the lowlands, at about 100 m elevation), where it grows and flowers regularly, but whereas in the highlands the flowers open fully and face sideways, in 1 Utama they open less widely and face downwards. I thought this might be Crinum kirkii but the inflorescence stalk is long and carries the flower head way above the rather short cluster of leaves.
8 comments:
Those Crinum Lilies I saw in nurseries are ok, face sideway and look magnificent. I have yet seen them in private garden though. In the nursery, they usually place them under shade but they do not have those sprinklers like those in the Secret Garden. I am not sure if this is the case or is the rain that's pushing the flower down.
Btw, common names are good enough for me. Botanic names are for professor like yourself he he... I am sure you would have no problem finding it ;-D
Dr Ng, please don't laugh at me. Actually when I saw these crinum lilies at the Secret Garden recently, I thought that I had just missed seeing them in full bloom and that they have wilted. However, the Asian crinum lilies (white colour) were upright and looked extremely beautiful.
Hahaha for Autumn Belle. I have a nice photo of almost the same lily but i haven't put some attention to it, grown by a neighbor and it has wonderful fragrance. I will post it later and i hope i will know from Dr Ng if it is also a crinum lily.
I love the drooping crinum though!
After checking up several leads provided by friends and readers of this blog, I am beginning to think this is the Natal lily, Crinum moorei, a forest species in South Africa that grows in the shade. I will transfer some plants to a shaded place and see if it performs better.
Dr. Ng, I am delighted to inform you that my post on The Secret Garden of 1-Utama has received many compliments for your efforts and contributions. Congratulations and keep up the good work. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This is more like Crinum zeylanicum or its hybrid.
Hi nicce reading your blog
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