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Plant lists / Listes de plantes

John Fielding’s Geophyte List
La liste de géophytes de John Fielding

John Fielding, co-author of Flowers of Crete and a member of the RHS Photographic Advisory Committee, suggests these plants as suitable for the climate in Mediterranean France.

John Fielding, co-auteur de « Flowers of Crete » et membre du Conseil consultatif pour la photographie de la RHS, nous propose ces plantes comme adaptées à notre climat méditerranéen français.

Seeds for many of these plants are available from the MGF Seed Collection / Beaucoup de graines de ces plantes sont disponibles dans la Collection de graines de MGF
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge them / Cliquez sur les vignettes pour les agrandir
Acis autumnalis
Acis autumnalis
syn. Leucojum autumnalis
Plant in full sun in well-drained soil.
Charybdis maritima
Charybdis maritima
syn. Drimia maritima
Keep the top of the bulb exposed or just below the surface.
Cobaea pringlei
Cobaea pringlei
A vigorous climber with large white flowers.

Pollinated by bats.

Colchicum bivonae
Colchicum bivonae
Plant in fertile soil, can be divided when dormant.

Very poisonous.

Colchicum macrophyllum
Colchicum macrophyllum
Colchicum macrophyllum Cretan White
Colchicum macrophyllum ‘Cretan White‘
Large flowers and leaves.
Colchicum pusillum
Colchicum pusillum
Tiny. Easy to grow.
Colchicum speciosum Album
Colchicum speciosum ‘Album‘
Best planted deeply.
Colchicum troodii
Colchicum troodii
Native to Cyprus.
Crocus boryi
Crocus boryi
Crocus cartwrightianus
Crocus cartwrightianus
Crocus goulymii
Crocus goulymii
Crocus niveus
Crocus niveus
Crocus sativus
Crocus sativus
The saffron crocus.
Cyclamen cilicium
Cyclamen cilicium
Plant in shade or woodland.
Cyclamen confusum
Cyclamen confusum
Vigorous, scented.
Cyclamen cyprium Galaxy Series
Cyclamen cyprium ‘Galaxy Series‘
This strain has heavily spotted leaves.
Cyclamen graecum subsp. graecum
Cyclamen graecum subsp. graecum
One of the few cyclamen species that likes full sun.
Cyclamen hederifolium subsp. crassifolium
Cyclamen hederifolium subsp. crassifolium
Vigorous and very scented.
Galanthus reginae olgae
Galanthus reginae-olgae
Plant in cool woodland conditions.
Iris unguicularis subsp. cretensis
Iris unguicularis subsp. cretensis
Scented.
Iris unguicularis subsp. Unguicularis Walter Butt
Iris unguicularis subsp. Unguicularis ‘Walter Butt‘
Plant in an open situation.

Divide and transplant in autumn.

Lycoris aurea
Lycoris aurea
From the Far East but related to the African genus, Nerine.

Plant against a warm wall.

Nerine bowdenii Alba
Nerine bowdenii ‘Alba‘
From South Africa, N. bowdenii is the hardiest nerine species.
Nerine bowdenii E.B. Anderson
Nerine bowdenii ‘E.B. Anderson‘
Very hardy
Nerine bowdenii Linda Vista
Nerine bowdenii ‘Linda Vista‘
Nerine undulata
Nerine undulata
Sternbergia lutea
Sternbergia lutea
Flowers in the same colony vary in shape.
Sternbergia sicula var. sicula
Sternbergia sicula var. sicula
Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes candida
Allium basalticum
Allium basalticum
Often sold as Allium ‘Silver Spring’.
Allium sp.
Allium sp.
Can be invasive, especially clones that produce bulbils in the flower heads.
Allium sphaerocephalon
Allium sphaerocephalon
Native to southern France and good for naturalising.
Anemone coronaria
Anemone coronaria
Wild forms naturalise well.

Cultivated strains, such as the De Caen series, have larger flowers, perfect for cutting.

Anemone hortensis subsp. pavonina
Anemone hortensis subsp. pavonina
Similar in appearance to A.coronaria.

Wide range of colours.

Arum creticum
Arum creticum
The form from Crete has yellow spathes.

Forms from SW Turkey are ivory white in colour.

Arum italicum
Arum italicum
Distinctive foliage, good for winter arrangements.

Grows well in shady situations.

Asphodeline lutea
Asphodeline lutea
An easy perennial with tuberous roots.
Calochortus luteus Golden Orb
Calochortus luteus ‘Golden Orb‘
Carlina gummifera
Carlina gummifera
A none-bulbous Mediterranean geophyte with a swollen tap root.
Cyclamen repandum
Cyclamen repandum
A spring-flowering cyclamen which grows well in woodland.
Danae racemosa
Danae racemosa
Needs to be in shade.

Foliage good for winter arrangements.

Fritillaria persica
Fritillaria persica
Hardy, easy to grow and with many colour variants.
Geranium charlesii var. punctatum
Geranium charlesii var. punctatum
A tuberous species, dormant during the summer.

Good for naturalising.

Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus
Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus
Good for naturalising in a meadow.
Iris purpureobracteata
Iris purpureobracteata
A bearded species iris from Turkey

Plant with the rhizome exposed.

Iris tuberosa
Iris tuberosa
Good for naturalising in a meadow or under olive trees.

Soon to be available from Avon Bulbs.

Leontis leontopetalum
Leontis leontopetalum
Plant deeply in a hot, dry exposed site.

Cold tolerant as native to high altitudes.

Leucojum aestivum
Leucojum aestivum
Plant in cool shady conditions.

Early flowering. Good for naturalising.

Lilium candidum
Lilium candidum
Plant with the bulb at soil level.

Feed to encourage flowering.

Moraea reticulata
Moraea reticulata
A South African species needing some winter protection.

Water occasionally.

Muscari armeniacum
Muscari armeniacum
Suitable for naturalising in a meadow.
Muscari macrocarpum
Muscari macrocarpum
This species is not likely to be invasive.

Strongly scented.

Muscari moschatus
Muscari moschatus
Muscari sp.
Muscari sp.
Orchis mascula
Orchis mascula
Early purple orchid, widespread in Europe.
Orchis simia
Orchis simia
The monkey orchid.
Ornithogalum arabicum
Ornithogalum arabicum
Pure white flowers and a black ovary.

Needs winter protection.

Ornithogalum nutans
Ornithogalum nutans
Distinctive drooping flowers.
Ornithogalum ponticum Sochi
Ornithogalum ponticum ‘Sochi‘
Long flowering period.
Paeonia broteroi
Paeonia broteroi
Plant in deciduous woodland or in half shade.
Paeonia clusii
Paeonia clusii
Pelargonium endlicherianum var. album
Pelargonium endlicherianum var. album
Plant in full sun.

The swollen rhizome-like stem should be at soil level.

Ranunculus asiaticus
Ranunculus asiaticus
The wild species is not very cold tolerant.
Ranunculus hybrids
Ranunculus hybrids
New hybrids are hardy and tolerant of summer drought.
Rhodophiala bifida
Rhodophiala bifida
Plant in free-draining soil.

Hardy to -10ºC.

Salvia patens
Salvia patens
A tuberous species with intense blue flowers.

Plant in free-draining soil.

Scilla litardieri
Scilla litardieri
Hardy and easy to grow.

Native to the former Yugoslavian countries.

Scilla peruviana
Scilla peruviana
Plant at or near soil level in deciduous shade.

Native to Iberia and NW Africa.

Scilla peruviana Algerian Cream
Scilla peruviana ‘Algerian Cream‘
White flowers with a brownish blush and a touch of mauve.
Thalictrum tuberosum Rosy Hardy
Thalictrum tuberosum ‘Rosy Hardy‘
Plant in woodland.

The species is native to the French Pyrenees

Triteleia laxa Lilac Charm
Triteleia laxa ‘Lilac Charm‘
Plant deeply in free draining soil in full sun.

Good for cutting.

Triteleia laxa Rudy
Triteleia laxa ‘Rudy‘
Tulipa National Velvet
Tulipa ‘National Velvet‘
A recent cultivar with very dark red flowers.

Plant deeply to support the stem.

Tulipa agenensis
Tulipa agenensis
A short stemmed tulip native to the eastern Mediterranean.

Can reproduce by means of stolons, so naturalises easily.

Tulipa aucheriana
Tulipa aucheriana
Tulipa clusiana Peppermint Stick
Tulipa clusiana ‘Peppermint Stick‘
Tulipa saxatilis
Tulipa saxatilis
Tulipa sylvestris
Tulipa sylvestris
Good for naturalising.
Tulipa vvedenskyi
Tulipa vvedenskyi
A species from central Asia.

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