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DESCRIPTION:

LOLITA Large, dark pink trumpet that can sometimes have random white striping called a chimera (see Lorraine Clark, variegated form). If you want a crinum that makes a bold and distinguished presence in your garden, this is a must have crinum. This is our first introduction of this bulb to the public in 2018. Only a handful of specialized crinum collectors have this extremely rare hybrid. This would be considered a large-size plant. The flowers open 5-6 at a time, sequentially for a couple of days until they are all open. It will form new, offset bulbs on a regular basis once the bulb is mature. We have observed up to 18 flowers on 46" tall, strong, scapes. Our largest bulbs are HUGE, in excess of 7 1/2" in diameter. We have recorded blooms from March-June and August. These do very well here in zone 9.

We grow over 1000 different crinum, including about 350 of our own hybrids.

BACKGROUND:

LOLITA (a type of scabrum hybrid done by Dr. Thad Howard, now deceased) This fantastic, rare hybrid has been one of our garden favorites for many years, and we have been patiently letting them multiply since first paying $150 for one bulb from another collector in 2008. We finally have enough to offer them continuously in all available sizes. Dr. Howard, the author of a great bulb book, with many pages and colored photos of crinum, Bulbs For Warm Climates, created some incredible crinum hybrids like Lolita, Carnival, Thad Howard, and several others we have in our collection. As our bulbs multiply, we introduce them for sale, but this takes many, many years. We have invested several tens of thousands of dollars to obtain these rare hybrids and are using many of them in our hybridization efforts.

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:

This is most likely more tender than some crinum. It does well here in northeast Florida, zone 9, but we do not think it would survive outside below zone 7+. This is a very hardy and easy to grow bulb requiring no special care. It tolerates a wide range of soils (but prefers rich soil). In zone 7 or below we would recommend planting it in a pot and protecting it from freezing in the winter. You can just let the pot go dry and start watering again in the spring after it is placed outside again. Bulbs can survive nicely out of the ground for extended periods if allowed to dry. They prefer full sun, but partial shade is OK. They will also make excellent, container plants.

DESCRIPTION OF ITEM FOR BID:

You are bidding on a jumbo, blooming-size bulb at least 6 years old and about 5" in diameter which should bloom in 1 year. They don't like being disturbed, so it could take one year to "settle in." Bulbs will be freshly dug, shipped bare root and with leaves March-November. In the winter months the leaves may be absent.

WE SIZE OUR BULBS APPROXIMATELY BY AGE AS FOLLOWS: A few varieties can take 6 years or more to bloom.

Jumbo bulb – has bloomed at least 2 years, close to the maximum size for that particular plant (6+ years old)

Large bulb - should bloom this year or next (3+ years old, close to, or at blooming size)

Medium bulb - should bloom in 1-2 years (at least 2 years old)

Small bulb - should bloom 2-4 years (current year or 1-2 year old offset)

Seedling bulb - started from seed (usually in its first year of growth unless otherwise stated)

PHOTOS/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

These are pictures of our plants, so you know exactly what they look like and what you will receive. The photos show the plant in various stages of growth. Please feel free to contact us for additional information, and click on "Me" following our star rating. Also, we invite you to go to our store (little red door) and look at other items we have for sale.