In article ,
Martin wrote:

The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.

It's very pretty, in a delicate way (like harebells). You can
get both C. superbus and C. venustus from de Jager, as well as
a yellow one and a couple of hybrids. But C. albus doesn't seem
to be sold in Europe, nor are most of the others. One Dutch
company does have a hybrid C. albus, but that is all.

And, yes, I saw them in the wild when walking in California :-)

http://www.greengardenflowerbulbs.nl...pe=catalog&p=1
www.csweijers.nl/...//Catalogus_najaar_2013.pdf
Have seven or eight Calochortus but not albus.

Weijers' current catalogue is at
http://www.csweijers.nl/web/Extra/Ca...oorjaar+2015+/

They all seem to be the same set of 2-3 species and 3-4 hybrids,
plus mixtures. It could be that the others are very tricky, or
it could be lack of initiative.

If they ARE tricky, I would assume that too much wet is the problem,
or possibly lack of summer heat. They grow naturally in very well-
drained, poor soil where the summer is almost waterless and the
sun is fairly hot.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.