Re: Haemanthus albiflos
Just to confound you guys in California, I grow Haemanthus albiflos
out of doors here in the UK! By all logical reasoning it should fail
abysmally, but it has come through several winters here perfectly
well. It looks a total mess by March when all of the leaves rot way
to mush, but a quick clean up reveals good sturdy growths and 'bulbs'
which get going quickly with the return of warm weather. Here it
normally flowers in May/June, but this year, it continued to produce
flowers right through the summer.
I agree that it is difficult to place amongst other plants and like
most people, have resorted to keeping it in a big pot. I repot every
other year, using a loam based, very free draining compost and it is
topped off with a couple of inches of stone chippings to deter any
hungry slug or snail.
It isn't the most beautiful plant in the world, but those broad,
rounded leaves and quaint, 'squashed-brush' heads of flowers do have
their attraction.
I also grow the related, Scadoxus multiflora in pots out of doors and
provided it gets the message to die down in winter, usually produces
masses of football sized heads of flower each year. I've recently
grown a few seedlings of Haemanthus montana which is reputed to be the
hardiest of the family. We shall see!
Dave Poole
TORQUAY UK
