Hey John, just got my first fan of "Candy lily" can you tell me more about them or add to our Database? Mine has not bloomed yet, received at swap in late May, what am I doing wrong? Does it really rebloom July to fall? Why are they not more popular? I've been waiting for years!
(Thought I'd ask an expert)
(and warn you I want more at our swap!)
Thanks :)
Vi
Calling Pardancanda!
Hello Vi!
Here in NJ they start to bloom in July. Friends in Texas tell me they have bloom already. Yours may still bloom before the summer is over, unless it is a first year seedling. In that case it may not bloom until next summer, or perhaps later in the fall. Are you giving it full sun? That and good drainage are most important.
I also ask why they are not more popular! They are attractive plants in the Iris family, blooming from July until frost, and come in an unlimited range of colors and patterns. My thought is that if the size of the blooms could be increased, the candy lily would soon become serious competition for even the daylily!
To that end, I recommend saving seeds from the plants with the best color and largest blooms, and replant, selecting each season for these desirable traits. I have a good number which will bloom for the first time this summer, hope there are some winners.
I do hope to have a number of Pardancanda plants to distribute to everyone at the Roundup in GA!
Thanks for asking!
John
I just don't think that they are well known by gardeners. They are so easy to start from seed. I first saw them in Parks catalog as seed.
Are these the same as 'blackberry lily'?
NO, but let John explain!
Went to my favorite nursery the other day, they had a big sign "Candy Lily", NOT! T'was "Belamcanda", so disappointed in them (my nursery, LOL)--foilage does look similar, however.
This message was edited Monday, Jun 30th 10:11 PM
*sigh*
Another 'lily' I suddenly need to try ...
Cheri'
Have a couple of friends, Darrell Probst and Darrel Apps, who did a lot of breeding on these a few years back. They are easy to grow from seed. Also, if you have one that you like a lot, they can be multiplied fairly rapidly, by nodal stem cuttings. That is, take the nodes from the bloom stalk, and place them in rooting mix with a little hormone and they root, just like stem proliferations of daylily.
George
Is there a web site where I could find out more about these? I thought you were talking about the 'blackberry lily' too. I would like to see what they look like. Are they hardy in zone5a?
And I started out just asking the expert, LOL!
http://hortparadise.unl.edu/Newsrelease/News/Blackberrylily.htm
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/378/
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modzz/00001038.html
Just a few notes:
The Belamcanda is one of the parents of Pardancanda, the other being Pardanthopsis. Belamcanda has simple, flat flowers in orange with red spots, or in pure yellow. Pardanthopsis contributed the lavender and blue colors, along with flowers showing more of an iris form. If not carefully selected from seed in each generation, the random seedlings tend to revert to the Belamcanda colors and form.
These "lilies" are actually in the Iris family, and in fact all the genera involved have been through any number of name changes, and may all eventually be classified as "Iris".
I have grown Darrell Probst's 2002 Introductions, and they are exceptional, especially the purples. However, the blooms are small compared to such varieties as 'Sangria', which I suspect is a tetraploid. Another with "huge" flowers (3+ ") was sent to me by our own Jody, and it is really special.
These plants should be hardy in zone 5a or even colder. many survived a bitter NJ winter with lows of 5 degrees in unprotected 1 gallon pots. Only lost a few which became waterlogged later in spring.
The Plant Database mentions sowing seeds in spring after frost or in fall well before frost. In my own experience, seeds can be sown as soon as ripe, and will then need to be placed under lights for the winter. Much better is to winter sow them, and let them germinate naturally come spring. I have had almost 100% success with the last technique.
Although a Park Introduction, there is seldom any credit given to Samuel N. Norris, who created the bigeneric hybrid. He was a dear friend of mine, whose passing in 2002 was a sad event.
Ummm, actually the PDB doesn't have any propagation information checked for either Belamcanda species: http://plantsdatabase.com/b/none/Belamcanda/ nor for the Pardancanda entry: http://plantsdatabase.com/go/378/
Here are the main choices for propagating from seed; when completing a section, you can check all that apply:
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; start outdoors mid-winter in covered containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
From seed; stratify if sowing indoors
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost
If someone (anyone?) would like to complete these entries, we'd be much obliged!
P.S., I have several B. chinensis plants full of blooms right now, thanks to John and Jody. With any luck, I'll be gathering the seeds to pass along later this year.
Terry, the information on sowing is down the bottom in Gardener's Notes. I'll take a look and the Belamcanda and Pardancanda entries and see if I can help.
Happy to hear the B. chinensis are doing so well. Mine are not yet blooming, but stalks are forming!