Re: Naked Ladies! (Amaryllis belladonna)
- Subject: Re: Naked Ladies! (Amaryllis belladonna)
- From: &* A* O*
- Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 18:06:58 -0700
At 04:37 AM 8/9/01 -0700, Richard Starkeson wrote:
>These have naturalized all over northern California. (They don't seem to have
>spread a lot, but spread out gradually from where they had originally benn
>planted) I have noticed that when left on their own, they sometimes form
>large
>clumps of bulbs, all above the ground surface. Is this their natural
>manner of
>growth in their native climate?
Richard -
Yes, these bulbs do neet to be planted with their neck exposed. They are
often planted on sloping soil to provide the excellent drainage they prefer
and erosion can gradually expose even more bulb, which doesn't seem to
bother them either.
The only photo I've ever seen of Amaryllis belladonna growing in South
Africa was an immense flat plain that was covered with the bulbs in full
flower, and the soil was apparently flooded from a recent
rain!! Interesting shot with the flowers reflecting in the water! I was
told that this was the start of the raining season and that the plant can
tolerate this flooding during this period, but the are was bone dry in summer.
Sometimes this plant doesn't really naturalize because the seeds must
germinate immediately, otherwise they shrivel up and die. This is also why
you don't seem them offered in seed catalogs. They are very easy to
germinate but I think our typically dry falls fail to germinate them
naturally. If you'd like to sprout some seed to grow this beautiful plant,
just looks for the pink, pearl-like seeds in the drying, papery pods on the
'naked' spikes. They are best planted right where they will grow (a sunny
area with poor soil that will be unirrigated in summer). Break up the soil
surface; sow the seeds and barely cover; possibly cover with some
bird-netting to keep out critters; keep well watered from sowing and
through the winter (our winters can have several dry spells) to build up
the little bulbs as much as possible; if the bulbs have done well, allow
them to dry out the following summer, otherwise you can water them more
until they appear to want to go dormant. In a few years they should be
flowering size and you may get some color variation!
If you'd like to transplant the bulbs to a new location, they should be
lifted while in flower (they are still dormant) or they may not bloom for
some time (this is popular mythology which may or may not be true, but I
don't tempt fate!).
h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Seán A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean@support.net
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
