Milk and Wine Crinum
This is one of the first crinums to bloom every summer. If the early summer is cool, the 2-3 bloom spikes each bulb sends up will each look good for a couple weeks. This gives almost a month of white dark pink striped blooms larger than amaryllis blooms.
On top of this, you don't need to worry about it dying (unless you spray Round Up on it), because it is one of the toughest bulbs in the garden! My former professor, Dr. Bill Welch once said, "No crinum in the South has ever died." The spicy blooms are usually triggered after a good rain. Foliage can be a little messy but maintains a nice appearance with a little grooming and some companion perennials such as Salvia sp., Phlox sp. and more.
Planting: Plant the bulb with the tip of its neck right at or barely above soil level, with the round base of the bulb buried. Milk and wine crinums bloom best in full sun (6-8+ hours a day), though they will take a little afternoon shade. They are not picky about soil and will grow in sand or clay, but well-drained soil with some organic matter gets them going fastest. Space bulbs about 2-3 feet apart so each one has room to grow into a big clump. Water regularly for the first few weeks to get them established; after that, they are very drought tolerant. Plant them where they can stay put, since crinums don't like to be moved.
There are several Crinums that are called "Milk and Wine" but we believe this one to be Crinum x herbertii. Once you have this flower, you have it for a lifetime and we are thrilled to offer it to you for your garden!
| Size | Approximate Bulb Size | Bloom & Growth Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Small bulb | All sizes will produce the same beautiful blooms — smaller bulbs simply take a bit longer to reach full size |
| Regular | Baseball size or larger | Will reach full size and begin multiplying sooner than small bulbs |
| Jumbo | Softball size or larger | The most mature bulb available — quickest to reach full size and multiply. These are serious bulbs — you could hurt someone with these! |
Below you can see the three sizes. The regular one is in my hand.
