PlantFiles: Crinum Lily
Crinum 'Ellen Bosanquet'

Ellen Bosanquet is polific and hardy here in north Georgia. A longer bloom cycle would make it almost perfect. I am growing numerous EB with many new offset bulbs.

Couple comments. There are now several other hybrids very similar to EB that do have slightly different characteristics. There are some strains of EB that produce some seed. Several strains developed by plantsman Tom Perry (ebay seedman01) include his cross of EB with crinum bulbispermum named (per IBS & PBS databases) Super Ellen which to quote him: "The 'Super Ellen' is very similar to ‘Ellen Bosanquet’ --- but is much larger in all respects and hardier. I believe this bulb has the same hardiness zone of a C. bulbispermum (zone 5). " A sister seedling from the same cross is the hybrid Sunbonnet which has more upright foliage than its EB parent.

"Ellen Bosanquet" was developed by either Alfred or Louis Bosanquet (I cannot recall which one at this moment) and named in honor of their wife. It was developed in Fruitland Park, Fla. and is found all over the area. Very very hardy plant but the foliage will show signs of burning and the flowers "bleach" if grown in an area that receives a lot of hot sunlight. Divides like crazy but sets no seeds. As of yet it appears the pedigree of this plant is unknown as the horticultural records the Bosanquets kept at their home ("Fair Oaks") were lost in a fire many years ago. The descendants of the Bosanquets still live in the Leesburg/Fruitland Park area and own a flower shop on Main Street in Leesburg. The early members of this family were some of the original settlers of the area and were responsible for introducing many of the plants that have been grown in the Central Florida area as landscape favorites down through the years, and even today.

Zone 8b, Lake Sam Rayburn, east TX

My Ellen Bosanquet is planted where it gets good sun. It is doing well in this soggy location. Many beautiful flower clusters in 2005. Clusters can be cut and enjoyed in your favorite vase for 7 days.
A wonderful addition to any garden.
Keep those bulbs blooming

Beautiful flowers- it is drought tolerant, but also will grow in swampy conditions- I have several different crinum and all are lovely, easy to grow and there is always enough to share.

This may be the identity of a Crinum which I rescued from an overgrown vacant lot (that had clearly been a dumping ground for unwanted garden plants - it had lots of Canna, Xanthosoma, Philodendron, etc.) two years ago, and is flourishing in an area that is very wet in the summer in my Sebring, Florida garden. The leaves are more spreading than erect, somewhat wavy on the edges, and form rosettes only about 1 foot tall and 2 feet across. Anyone let me know if they think the photo I posted is not this particular Crinum.

well known but not certain of origins, thought to be a cross between these two species and created in early 1900s in Florida by this person (Ms. Bosanquet). Very drought tolerant plant once established. Striking flowers all summer into the fall.