'United Nations'

Here's my plant with its 30" stem. With the pot, this is a 43" monster o' beauty.

The flowers are 8" long and 7.5" wide.

All white reverse.

Yikes! I'm surprised it hasn't toppled over! What a lovely flower.

Beautiful specimen!

Raydio, put your detective's cap on again, because there is a new mystery. I can't find any reference to United Nations anywhere. Is there any chance that this is actually Sydney? I ask because I also have ABC's United Nations and it sure looks like photos of Sydney that I've seen. Can you find any photos of United Nations that don't come from ABC? In addition, I got "Ambiance" from MZ that certainly isn't, since it doesn't have the picotee edge that shows up in the Ambiance photos. I believe that it is also Sydney, and it is identical to the "United Nations" from ABC.

kniph~

This one isn't likely to topple. Almost immediately upon planting, it began to grow vigorous new roots and is very firm in the pot. The scape didn't appear immediately either, though it had begun rooting in.

In spite of producing that huge stem and the five blooms, the bulb hasn't shrunk at all and remains quite firm. No sign at all of foliage, though.

It is an amazing bulb.

bsharf~

There are a few that look like this one, that's for sure. Sydney looks closest, but some pix of Toronto look a bit the same too.

I have only seen the picture on the ABC site and the one you posted in December.

The oldest bloom on my plant is now 9" in length, if I "un-recurve" the 12:00 and 6:00 tepals. That makes it larger than Sydney's usually stated size by 2". Maybe this could be seen as an "improvement" over Sydney?

UN has the typical amaryllis scent that carries a short distance from the bloom. Does Sydney have any scent?

R.

The plot thickens! The photo I posted was the ABC United Nations, so of course that doesn't answer anything. Size could be a factor, now my ABC and MZ bulbs were blooming at the same time, I didn't see a size difference between them- I do remember noting that they were larger than the usually 7in blooms, so were probably both about 8-9 inches.(unf. didn't write down the measurement) . But to throw an interesting clue into the mystery. ABC gets bulbs from Brazil. Check out their Brazilian supplier's website, www.brasbonitas.nl Just so happens that they grow Sydney. Hmmm did they send Sydney to ABC marked as "United Nations" . I just guessed Sydney since both blooms looked like the photos. I've never actually seen a real Sydney. So it sounds as if we have to keep looking for another photo of the infamous United Nations. Perhaps my mislabeled MZ "Ambiance" is really United Nations. Wow, I'm getting a headache!

Very interesting, bsharf!

We'll have to keep looking for answers.

Have you posted a pic of the MZ flower?

R.

Here's the 2 photos side by side.

Twins!

I have wanted to add 'Sydney' to my collection for some time, but when I saw UN--and the word "NEW"--I decided to buy it. If it's a marketing ploy, it worked {chuckle}.

R.

Here's my Ambiance...

Gordo: that's what Ambiance is supposed to look like!!! I've got one on the way from RC, so hopefully will finally get it this season. MZ hasn't don't very well this year with correctly labelled bulbs, though I must say, to my surprise, their Angelique was correctly labelled.

I bought a number of cybisters on eBay this year...

I'm deeply, deeply into triage work on them.
Surgery, peroxide baths, bent scapes propped up with stakes and tape, you name it.

Extreme Unction administered, next of kin notified...just in case.

...and we're having a 24 hour stag party every day!!!

STAGANOSPORUM PARTY THAT IS!

Grim. Very grim...

Have pity for me...
*sigh*

Bent...

Broken...

Stag party participant...

Stag party participant's main man bro...

Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4sfJr10wFs&feature=related

Gordo~

I've noticed that roots are very few or totally lacking this year more often than in other years. Even those bulbs handled by the "quality" suppliers seem to be poor on roots. Browsing at the local garden center I saw the same thing.

Have you seen this, or is it just my luck?

R.

Is anyone growing 'Sydney'?

Would like to see pix of your blooms with size data. The difference between UN and Sydney (if there is a difference) may be one of size mostly--Sydney s/b about 7" and UN seems to average 8" (or more?).

Maybe there are differences in the width of the white border?

R.

Here's a link to a GW Amaryllis forum thread with UN and Sydney pics...

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0222402320192.html?17

Thanks, Maria.

I see differences in the two.

R.

Your very welcome raydio. I kinda like UN better. :-)