I can't believe you can't get yours to bloom Donna! You are so good at getting everything to bloom. I bought my bulbs from Southern Bulb Co in the spring of 2011. Mixed into the Johnsonii were this bulb, and another that bloomed pink (the vendor replaced the bulbs that were not true to type). So the year would be correct for the introduction of Sophisticate. I don't know what vendor they got their bulbs through, but I know they sourced them from another vendor rather than growing them themselves. They tried finding out what the pink one was from their source, but were not able to get an id. The purple scaped one didn't bloom the first year, and last year it bloomed at a lower height, so it was less apparent that it was a different type, but this year it is clearly different. Whatever it is, you are right, it is a very robust plant. It has made several offsets, and the mother bulb put up 3 scapes this year. I wonder if the pot you have it in is big enough. Looking at my bulb plus its offsets, the clump is easily a foot across, the offsets like to pop up a good ways from the parent bulb. I hope you can get yours to bloom!

Not familiar with this species, but the same place from which I ordered a bunch of seeds last winter (mostly Calothamnus), has it: "XANTHORRHOEA australis....................................."Grass Tree" $19.50 per 25gcolor>" ...hit the link below. Here is a link that might be useful: Nindethana Seed Service (Albany, Western Australia)

I don't think you can rush a xanthorrhoea. I have grown them from seed and from seedlings. The first couple of seedlings I planted out in the open 15 years ago - one has grown in full sun and is now a sphere approaching 2 metres. the other had the misfortune to have a eucalypt come up next to it and quickly shade it out and hasn't done quite as well. The seeds I sowed about 6 years ago and raised in tubes, then in long plastic bags, and the best of them are now in 1 metre high pots (as they like to sent their roots down deep),and doing well, but still nowhere near a sphere. One that I planted out flowered at an incredibly precocious stage and went on to develope a double crown afterwards. Half a dozen others that I planted out from tube stage have done well and are slightly more advanced than the ones I have grown in pots. I think the growing mix is important as with any plant, particularly natives. I have used a mix of roughly equal parts of washed course river sand, commercial good quality potting mix. and soil similar to that in which the parent olant was growing. A bit of nitrogenous fertiliser about once a year, otherwise I don't fertilise them. After all, they thrive in some of the most unfertile soil on the planet. Tony

When you bought your xanthorrhoea was it from a certified licensed seller? From my experience, it takes about 6 months to a year for a 'grass tree' to die once it has been moved from one site to another, especially from a dealer/remover who hasn't much of an idea of their requirements. Monash, my advice, just plant it - don't bother with brown sugar, just water it in with a water/seeweed mix (Seasol, I use) and hope for the best. If you bought a seed grown plant, fine. If yours has a black trunk then it's probably a plant removed from the bush by a certified, licensed remover (details of authenticity should be on the pot), potted and (hopefuly) left to settle for a year or two. Then, if you didn't disturb the roots at planting time, it should be ok. Water it for awhile to settle in in a well drained spot diminishing the watering gradually over a period of about 6 weeks, then hope for the best. If it's still alive a year later then consider you've made it.