The incredible Lotus

 The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is an aquatic plant of great elegance, and one

Lotus plants fill a pond in Taiwan.

that is highly revered throughout southern and
eastern Asia particularly among Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Because the leaves and the flowers arise literally from the mud, appearing above the water clean and unstained, they are considered symbols of purity, strength and rebirth,. Wherever they can be grown, they are prized members of  aquatic landscapes. 

Religious figures are often depicted
as being borne (or sometimes born)
 on lotus flowers. From Wikipedia,
public domain.

When a Lotus seed germinates, leaves
appear first, roots and rhizome will
emerge later.

I recently found lotus seeds for sale on the internet and decided to try growing them in a tub. I was astonished at how quickly they germinated and grew to maturity. It took less than a week  the seeds to sprout, wrapped in a wet paper towel in a plastic sandwich bag. I waited another week to stick them into the soil, eight inches below the water surface in the tub. The first leaf to emerge to the surface was about an inch across, but each succeeding leaf was a bit larger, and in a few weeks were more than a foot in diameter. They smallest leaves floated on the surface of the water, but later leaves pushed above the surface on sturdy stems. 

I planted the seeds in February, and by late May I was startled to see small flower buds appearing above the water, and these were fully opened in another couple of weeks. So, from seed to flower took scarcely three months. 

The solitary flowers of the Lotus rise to sit above the
leaves that are completely circular in outline.

Lotus plants are sometimes confused with waterlilies, which are in a completely different family. Their remarkable resemblance is a great example of convergent evolution. In waterlilies, however, leaves remain floating on the water surface, and have a deep cleft at the base. Waterlily seeds are borne in a series of separate carpels rather than a flat-headed structure. They are much slower in their growth also, taking three or more weeks to germinate and up to two years to form their first flowers. Waterlilies branched off from the earliest ancestors of flowering plants, while Lotuses are more closely related to Proteas and Sycamores.

Remarkably, though, they have similar pollination strategies. In both waterlilies and lotuses, insects, which often are bearing pollen from another flower, enter the flowers on the first day they are opened. In the evening the flowers close, trapping the insects. Flowers reopen the next day, and the pollen covered insects escape, to repeat the process in another flower.

As Lotus flowers fully open, the distinctive, flat-
headed receptacle, with young ovules embedded
in surface pits, are revealed.

Waterlily leaves have a cleft at the base, and their
separate carpels are hidden in a chamber below
the stamens.

The sacred Lotus of Asia has an American cousin,
Nelumbo lutea, which has yellow flowers. Photo
by Liz West, CC by 2.0.

Flowers of the Midnight Sun

 

The sun at midnight above the Arctic
Circle.

I recently realized a dream of experiencing the longest day of the year above the arctic circle, and can confirm that the sun never sets on that day! Of course, I also hoped to see some arctic wildflowers while there, and though it was early in the season, I was not disappointed. 

Much of the arctic flora circles the globe across Eurasia and North America, and so there are some common elements between what I have seen in Alaska and Norway, but also with some that are unique to each region.

Dogwoods (Cornus suecica) in cold northern
climates are ground-hugging dwarfs, rather
than trees. They are thus protected from strong
winds and covered with snow during the 
winter, which protects them from the cold.

Arctic willows (genus Salix) are likewise dwarfed. 

Lotus corniculata is a relative of clover and alfalfa.

Silene dioica, a member of the Carnation Flower, is common
in Norway during the long days of June.

Silene acaulis forms low mats in more exposed areas.

Buttercups, genus Ranunculus, are universal in
temperate to arctic climates.

I had to borrow this image from Wikipedia, as it was
too early in the season for Fireweed, genus Epiolbium,
an icon of arctic and subarctic regions. Photo by
Kallerna, CC by SA 3.0

Wild Geraniums abound in the Norwegian woods.

Yellow violets survive nestled among the rocks.

At a stop in the northerly Orkney Islands,
a ground orchid in the genus Dactylorhiza
blooms.

Yellow flag, an Iris, fills bogs in the Orkneys.

Arctic poppies were in bloom in the Shetland Islands.

Thymus praecox, a relative of Thyme, forms low mats among mosses in the Shetlands.

Florida's spring bulb mania

I got this beautiful variety from my neighbor, who was even
more of a Hippeastrum maniac than I am, but without a name.

 Last week, I extolled the virtues of tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs, which we don't have in Florida, except for what we can scrounge up in grocery stores and florist shops. So we have no mania here, unless...

We do have spring bulbs here, commonly called Amaryllis. We don't have the massive displays, or the number of varieties to be found in tulips, but some of us have our own private manias, filling up every available spot in our gardens with what I consider to be equally elegant and equally anticipated spring displays.  I alluded to them twice already, in Theme and Variation - the Amaryllidaceae and in My Pandemic Garden 1. Winter and Spring

One of the true Amaryllis species from
South Africa, A. belladona.
By Discott - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

First of all, they're not really in the genus Amaryllis, which consists of two species native to southern Africa. What we call by that name, through historical confusion, are in  Hippeastrum, a genus of some 90 species native to tropical America. So much for the botanical geekery. 

Though roughly the same shape as tulips, Hippeastrums are bent to the side, an adaptation for pollination by hummingbirds, and they have inferior ovaries, which means the seed capsules develop below the tepals, rather than above them as in tulips. 

Over 600 hybrids and cultivars have been developed, drawing upon several of the wild species, much of it in Holland, the international center of bulb mania. Colors range mostly from red to pink to white, while some have an orangish tint. Some yellow-ish varieties have been bred, but there are no true brilliant yellows, and if you see blue Hippeastrums for sale, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you for cheap! There are no true blue or purple pigments in the genus. Some may be dyed the way they dye those horrible blue Phalaenopsis you see in grocery stores sometimes.

One of the species Hippeastrums my neighbor had,
probably H. reginae.

The early varieties appear as early as March, depending on the weather, and the parade of later varieties can continue into early May. Each stalk typically produces 4-8 blooms, and flowers can last up to a week. So with my brief betrayal to see the tulips in April, I didn't miss much. 

At the show in Keukenhof, only a few Hippeastrums from
the greenhouse were on display.

So one can create his or her own spring spectacle with these subtropical beauties.

The common large red cultivar, whose flowers can be up
to six inches across.

A pretty, pink variety, probably "Apple Blossum."

Hippeastrum papilio, the Butterfly
Amaryllis, is a species said to be
epiphytic in nature. It is said to bloom
better if crowded in a pot, and that the
roots need good aeration.

This is a seedling from one of the large red
commercial varieties. The color is true, but
the flowers are substantially smaller.

I don't personally care for doubled flowers 
other than roses, but this one came from my 
neighbor and I didn't have the heart to turn it
away/

This variety, "Minerva," with white stripes remains my favorite of all the
Hippeastrums.

Tulip Mania

Tulips come in a range of colors and 
patterns, featuring mostly reds and
yellows.

Having been essentially house-bound for the past two years, I  recently had the good fortune to visit the Netherlands with my family. Most specifically I wanted  to see the famous tulip displays at the Keukenhof Garden. The garden is located at the village of Lisse, in the middle of the bulb-growing region of the country, a 40-minute bus ride from Amsterdam. I was lucky to arrive at the peak of the tulip display in mid-April. I wasn't alone!

The garden is only open to the public from mid-March to early May each year the Amsterdam Tulip Festival. People come from all over the world for the display that features 800 varieties of tulips, along with daffodils, hyacinth, crocus, fritillaries, and grape hyacinth. Covered pavilions also host displays of orchids, anthuriums, and  orchids.  

Prior to the pandemic, about 1.5 million people, or about 26,000 per day, visited during the brief season. With the garden closed for the past two years, pent-up tulip cravings brought crowds rivaling those at Disney World the day after Christmas. This is the present-day version of tulip mania.

There are about 75 wild species of tulips, native to southeastern Europe, the middle east, and central Asia. From these, thousands of cultivars and hybrids have been created. 

Two wild Asian species of the genus Tulipa on display at Keukenhof Garden. (this article at least has
some genuine wildflowers!)

The original "tulip mania" occurred in the Netherlands during the 17th century. This was at the height of the Dutch empire and prosperity, and the Dutch were the leading growers and breeders of tulips and other bulbs at that time. Rare varieties sold for hundreds or thousands of Guilders. I don't know how much a Guilder at that time was worth in today's dollars, but I'm sure it's a lot. Tulips and tulip "futures" were traded on exchanges similar to our modern stock exchange.  An investment frenzy began in 1634, creating the first recorded investment "bubble." When the tulip market collapsed in 1637, huge fortunes were lost.

Today, many of you in temperate parts of the world can enjoy the fruits of the Dutch tulip breeders efforts in your own backyards and local parks, though we in Florida are restricted to paltry, short-lived potted specimens from our florists and grocery stores!

In any case, now enjoy the pictures of tulip mania 2022 in Koekenhof.

A bed of brilliant orange and yellow tulips
near the front entrance.

A "river" of grape hyacinth meanders through banks lined with daffodils.

Rare varieties of tulips are displayed inside
 the Willem-Alexander Pavilion.

A bed of orange and yellow tulips in front of a river of pink hyacinths.

A bed of crown fritillaries.

Yellow Cymbidium orchids in suspended glass vases, in the Beatrix Pavilion.

The spectacular display of roses in the Oranje Nassau Pavilion.

In Amsterdam, potted tulips line the square near the Rijksmuseum.

An embankment near the Amsterdam waterfront is filled with Daffodils that
reappear year after year without human help.

My Pandemic Garden 2. Summer and Fall

 With summer heat and humidity, only the most rugged flowers, fruits, and vegetables will thrive.

June. Summer officially arrives and the more feint at heart blossoms of spring give way to the tropicals.

Summer brings tropical members of the Lily
Family, like these Gloriosa rothschildiana from 
Africa.

The yellow blooms of Gloriosa greenei are not as common
as their red cousins.

The flower spikes of Curcuma zeodaria, a relative of the turmeric plant, emerge
before the leaves in early summer.

Okra blossoms will be followed quickly by their
goo-filled fruits.

Blue flowers are uncommon in the Amaryllis
Family, but are standard in the Lily-of-the-Nile

July: Tropical blossoms and fruits continue.

The flowers of the passion fruit, Passiflora edulis, appear in succession during
the warm weather, each resulting in a fruit about a month later.

The nodding flowers of Agapanthus inapertus major.
a relative of the Lily of the Nile, appear in  July.

Heydichium gardnerianum, a member of the
Ginger Family, produces its cylindrical masses
of golden-yellow flowers in July.

August: The heat and rain continue, ripening guavas, passion fruits, and okra, with some Hibiscus and Cannas for color. 

This pendant, red, double variety of Hibiscus is one of the few that continues
to bloom in hot weather.

September: Shortening days bring out some new blossoms.

Billbergia pyramidalis, a member of the Pineapple Family,
produces small blue flowers nestled inconspicuously amidst
bright red bracts.

My favorite cattleya, which has endured heat, 
near-freezing temperatures and neglect for 40
years, produces its flowers also with the 
decreasing daylength of September.

October:

Banana flowers appeared in October this past 
year, and the fruit ripened in April.

November: Some flowers oblivious to seasonality continue, along with ripening fruits.

Sweet potato vines, with their edible young
shoots, have grown rampantly all summer. 
Occasionally a flower will appear, reminding
us that the sweet potato is a member of the
Morning Glory Family.

Cannas have been with us all year, and will 
continue to bloom if the weather remains mild.

Fresh Goji berries, Lycium barbarum,  appear in the Fall or sometimes in the Spring, avoiding both cold and hot weather. They are a member of the Tomato Family.

December: Of course, what would December be without Poinsettias?

A commercial Poinsettia farm in Florida readies its products for market in late November and early
December.

Planted out at home, Poinsettia can become a permanent shrub or small tree, until it freezes anyway~
The microscopic flowers are embedded in green-yellow cups amidst brightly colored leaves, or bracts,
creating the illusion of a giant flower.