Most bulbs have pushed up out of their matrix. The largest are bigger than a quarter. One has started a daughter bulb.
Any idea when I might catch a bloom?

How wonderful!!!! You must be so happy. Since you have so many, why don't you try growing one or two as an epiphyte as they grow in the wild. You may actually get them to bloom quicker (another year or so) than in the pots. I do know that Aulicum bloom from smaller bulbs compared to the big old monster bulbs you get from garden centers. In either case, keep us informed.

Warm Regards,
Fred

Wow! Yours are twice the size of mine, but mine have been in a cooler room up close to the window and yours each have their own digs which I'm sure the roots appreciate. Mine will have to wait a few more months to be repotted. I have 5 left and they have 4 leaves at the most and are nowhere the size of yours but healthy none the less and I'm very pleased they are doing so well, at least until I looked at yours!! Don't you just love the way the leaves curl??..Donna

Nice! :D Mine are in the greenhouse riding out this sudden cold that's coming through. They're definitely smaller than both of yours - I'll have to get a picture when it's light outside. Caterpillars were insane last spring and no matter where I put my poor Aulicum, the caterpillars found them and treated it like the salad bar.

Thanks,
I wish I could grow them as epies, but they would not survive winter in my zone. Once branch or rock mounted I can't think how I'd get them under lights.

Check out the archives on mounting H. papilio by Houston Pat. He used an ingenious method of growing them on a cedar slab as the base and fishing twine to hold the growing media and bulbs in place. I'm actually thinking of doing that this spring to see how it works and I have no choice but to grow stuff indoors in my frozen butt cold climate. Give it a try, I think it may work.

Good Luck,
Fred

Are you saying you think aulicum can survive zone 8 or that I would enjoy the mounting project?
Both long shots, guess I'm not daring enough.
Will you un-mount the bulbs for winter?

I would keep them mounted but definitely bring them in for the winter. As for zone 8, I would guess it depends on whether you are on the warmer or colder side of your zone or if you're in micro-climate zone. As cold as my zone is, I have a bunch of stuff in my garden and planted in the open that are not supposed to grow here. My saving grace is that my garden is in a kind of a temperate micro-climate due to a 6' fence around the perimeter of it.

Warm Regards,
Fred

{{gwi:379839}}

I have six of them established now. I'm gonna make a molasses spray to try to keep the caterpillars off them. It seemed to work last summer to fend them off, at least until it rained.