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Crinums have long been part of gardening in the South, but they have recently fallen out of favor with landscape architects and nurseries. They are rarely seen in new subdivisions and landscapes, and many new gardeners have never even heard of them; these tough, long-lived bulbs are far more common in old neighborhoods and in rural areas, where gardeners still count on sharing them with friends to acquire many of their plants. Crinums have been passed on from gardener to gardener for generations. Clumps of crinums can live on long after the gardener who planted them is gone. The strap shaped leaves are broad and often wavy. They emerge from the tops of the bulbs to form a mound, or arch up and over like amaryllis, or radiate out from a central point. The flowers are produced in clusters at the end of thick stalks. Many look like trumpet lilies or amaryllis. Flowering occurs from spring to late summer, depending on type. Bulbs should be plated in spring through late summer. Full sun to part shade suits the majority of them. Most tolerate poorly drained heavy soils, and some will even grow in wet conditions. The variety above is unknown, but probably "Ellen Bosanquet"
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