Beauty Comes in Ugly Packages
By Donita Brannon
As you admire a lovely Amaryllis flower, a perfectly formed
tulip or a sweeping meadow filled with yellow daffodils, you
may find it hard to imagine that all this beauty came from
a bunch of ugly brown bulbs! Yet, some of the world’s most
exquisite flowers emerge each year from bulbs: gladiolus,
iris, narcissus, ranunculus and dahlia, to name a few. And,
although the dead of winter may not seem like ideal gardening weather,
it is the perfect time to plant some of these ugly little bulbs that will
reveal their “inner beauty” in just a few short months. Best of all, these
bulbs will continue to grace your garden with color and fragrance for
many years to come.
The word “bulb” is a generic term for any plants that grow from
an underground structure. All bulbs share a few common traits. One
is function: these structures are all basically storage organs holding
reserves of food to keep the plant alive from one growing season to the
next, through drought, cold, or heat. All bulbs follow an annual cycle
with periods of growth, bloom and dormancy. Most spring blooming
bulbs are dormant during the cold winter months. The type of bulb,
climate, and time of planting determine their seasonal
timing. There are five distinct types of bulbs: true bulbs,
corms, tubers, rhizomes and tuberous roots.
True bulbs are actually an underground stem base with
an embryonic plant, complete with leaves, stems, and
flower buds, ready to grow whenever conditions are ideal.
True bulbs include amaryllis, crinum, daffodil, narcissus
and tulip. Narcissus happens to be one of my personal
favorites. Its sweet scent reminds me of childhood days
when my mother would often receive a big bouquet of
them for Valentine’s Day.
Crocus, freesia and gladiolus grow from corms. Similar
to bulbs, corms contain a stem base, but the bulb tissue
is solid. Each corm only lasts one year, as it depletes its
stored energy by growing and blooming. As the old corm
shrinks away, a new corm is forming on top of it. Little offsets, called
cormels, may also form around the base.
Tubers, like corms and true bulbs, are also swollen stem bases, but
unlike bulbs and corms have no distinct
organized structure. Roots grow from the
base, sides and sometimes the top of the tuber.
Multiple growing points are scattered over
the surface, instead of just one growth point.
Tubers can last for many years, and continue
to enlarge. Some, such as caladiums, form
protuberances over time that can be removed
and planted separately. Tuberous begonias,
anemones, caladiums and cyclamen all grow
from tubers.
Rhizomes are simply thickened stems that
grow horizontally underground. Roots form
beneath these stems; the growth point is at
the tip. An individual rhizome continues to
grow larger each year, reaching out into the
surrounding soil. Additional growth points
eventually become new plants. The bestknown
rhizomatous plants are bearded iris,
calla lilies and cannas.
The tuberous root is just that: a root,
enlarged to store nutrients. In tuberous rooted
plants the roots grow in a cluster, and the
swollen tuberous portions radiate out from a
central point. The normal fibrous root, used
to absorb water and nutrients, grows from
the sides and tips of the tuberous structures.
Dahlias, daylilies and ranunculus grow from
tuberous roots. These tuberous roots can be
separated to form individual plants.
So, brighten up your springtime by planting
a few bulbs now! Your garden center will
usually have the appropriate bulbs to plant for
each particular season. Remember, as you peer
into the bins filled with scaly bumpy bulbs, to
look beyond their outward appearance and
envision the beauty within.
< Home - Next Article >
|
|
