Brunsvigia

Anyone growing these in pot or in the ground? If in a pot tell me what kind of soil you are using.

Quite a bit of info here Marie . . .

http://mainlyamaryllidsgarden.com/ah/brunsvigia.htm

Thanks kelly. I saw thatt site before I posted. I wanted to see if everyone was using a sandy medium or what there mix was :o)

☺

That was probably one of the best sites I have found there is not a ton of cultural information on these

Hopefully someone here grows them that can give you an idea what they use. They are pretty flowers!

At the botanical garden where I volunteer they're grown in a fast-draining, rocky mix somewhat like that used for cacti & succulents. Here's a good site for info: http://www.plantzafrica.com/frames/plantsfram.htm

bill the bulb baron sells them $100 bulb. not avail til aug 2010. Wow, Marie, buy me one while you're at it.

I have a baby that I bought for a couple of bucks. It will be years before mine is blooming size. I wish I had the cash to buy one already blooming size!!! Thanks for that link. I think I will something similar to what i use for my cactus and succulents then.

This message was edited Jan 11, 2010 6:29 AM

Guy Wrinkle at Rare Exotics has them for a LOT more: http://www.rareexotics.com/store/index.php/cat_59

Here are some from Telos Rare Bulbs that are much cheaper, but also smaller: http://www.telosrarebulbs.com/BoophaneFerraria.html

I love Telos. I wonder what she means when she says bulbs are "a few years away" from blooming? 1, 2, 10. Since a mature bulb is $100 to $200, my guess is at least 5 years.

I think she probably means 3-5 years since there's a Brunsvigia minor listed further down where she specifically says 5-6 years to bloom size. If you do the math on that description, it will bloom 7-9 years after starting from seed.

I'm too old to wait for that. LOL. Good luck with them Marie.

I wonder, too, if they bloom yearly thereafter or if they're finicky. At $100-$200, they're probably divas, yes?

Everything I read says they do notlike to be moved at all. So I am already behind in the game then it says to put my 2 inch bulb in a 30 inch pot because it does not like to be moved. So Divas yes!

I just got into South African winter growers this year in a big way. I started with one kind of lachenalia which turned into a full fledged need for all of them. And from there this year it turned into all South African winter growers.

First I was going to do just 1 big pot but now I have have enough bulbs for 3 big pots. I wish I had a place for them in my garden.

I bought a Brunsvigia josephinae, a Brunsvigia gregaria and a Boophane haemanthoides from a local grower. They are all a ways away from blooming but I used small SA bulbs for a filler so they should put on a show in the mean time.

Here is the Brunsvigia josephinae I bought just after I bought it. You can tell it has a great root system. The grower had it in a grower pot for deep roots, it must have been 2 feet deep but only a few inches across.

I probably should have put them all in a big pot of their own. They get quite large. Here is a mature one at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. The foliage is pretty by itself I think.

And the flowers of Brunsvigia josephinae.

fabulous!

Oh Nery I need help. I was out planting up a new SA bulb pot so I was gathering all my pots I have collected in 1 place trying to figure out what I have. I still have no clue. LOL. Though I need to stop buying Haemanthus bulbs everytime I see them. I think I have a ton, I am hoping I will figure out which ones. Seems like I do not have the 2 I really need though.

Marie, I will answer your email as soon as I hear back from the guy I got mine from. I asked him if he does mail order for you. Which SA bubls do you have so far?

I am in need of these 2. So cool looking.

And this one is too cool too.

I have had 2 of these pots around for a few years. Today I stumbled across one of them, I think the other is in the hoophouse. Both are in great need of repotting. They thrive on neglect and little soil. My kind of plant. I know I have seen both bloom and I think they are like shaving brushes from yesteryear. Maybe one was white and one red.

Obviously it is a winter growing bulb, it is looking so robust. I am thinking it too is a Haemanthus. Anyone have a clue?

Maybe Haemanthus albiflos? The leaves are slightly hairy.

And the roots.

Kell - what are the first two plants? The first one looks like Haemanthus, and the second one looks like Rauhia peruviana.

Yes, the third picture is of Haemanthus albiflos. You can always tell H. albiflos (or its hybrids) from any of the other Haemanthus. It's the only one that pups prolifically.

I was thinking they are Haemanthus. I am trying to find out as I type. LOL I have never heard of Rauhia peruviana. Interesting when I google it. I just found out Haemanthus albiflos is a summer grower so there goes my ID or maybe it is just because we are having such an unusally mild winter that it is just going full speed ahead in January?

Gosh Marilyn, the Amaryllidaceae family is just so huge. So many ones to learn about. But I so need to admire them from afar. Berk Bot is the death of my resolve.

Look at this one. Ammocharis coranica I have never heard of this one before either, one of many I am so ingnorant of. I love how the leaves are. I am always amazed at how many plants I do not have a clue about.

http://public.fotki.com/PanosS/amaryllidaceae-pages/ammocharis-1/ammocharis/

I can't wait to hear what else Marie collects in the SA bulbs. Just now I am trying to gather all the names of the ones I have on 1 list before I lose any more tags!

Any other South African bulb growers out there?

PS Marie to answer your email, I am using store bought bagged cactus soil and I add more pumice because it can be so rainy here in winter. Where you are is it dry year round? You might want to keep yours with more organic matter if you can totally contol when yours get wet.

Here is my big combo pot. And the new one I planted up today half way done. Oh Marilyn I got your lachenalia pot planted in this new pot. What was the kind of that mini one? I can't find similar foliage to ID it.

See how big my Brunsvigia josephinae has gotten. I have way too many bulbs stuffed there. When they start to grow it will be a disaster.

Haemanthus albiflos blooms late summer to fall. Unlike many of the other Haemanthus, it's also evergreen so it's going gangbusters at this time of year. Come spring/summer it sulks a bit.

I know what you mean about Berkeley Bot. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't already obtained a pretty good collection before I started volunteering there. LOL!!

I have some Ammocharis coranica. They aren't big enough to bloom yet, but if my dog stops knocking them over and treating them like his favorite ball they'll have a chance. LOL!

I have a bulbs list that I put together a few years ago. I'll send it to you and you can just check off the ones you have, delete the ones you don't, and add the ones that aren't on the list. But I think most of what you have will be on the list. I'll also leave you some extra space to add plants. It can be sorted easily by genus and species.

What do you mean, "my" Lachenalia pot? I don't remember!

If I were you and doing community pots I'd plant all the small SA bulbs together and keep the Brunsvigia and the Veltheimia separate. Many of the small bulbs can't stand a drop of water during dormancy or they'll rot, whereas the larger ones sometimes need a little bit.

Kell thank you for the pictures of your pots. I do the same thing and I felt like I should have been giving them each their own pots and was not sure how bad of an idea it was to put them all in the same pot. ( I made sure the ones that are together are all summer dry)

I want a Rauhia peruviana!! Anyone have any ideas on where I can find one?

Kell I have a baby Ammocharis coranica and I also have Albuca spiralis,Aristea major

Babiana angustifolia ,Babiana sambucina,Baeometra uniflora,Bobartia longicyma,Geissorhiza radians .

I have more but could not give you names because they are in community pots. I used to plant them in the ground and dig them back up in the summer so they would not get wet and I had all of my little baggies fall on the ground and the bulbs got all mixed up. ( Blonde? yes I am)

I don't think anyone has them at this time of year, but here are a few people who DID have them, and you can ask about future availability:

http://www.rareexotics.com
http://www.karacactus.com/
http://polypots.com/catalog/
http://myworld.ebay.com/cactusman_2003

I wouldn't be surprised if the California Cactus Center (http://www.cactuscenter.com/) didn't have a few, or know who does.

If you remind me in the spring, I have a couple of contacts that might have it.

Ok I will make myself a note. I have already sent e-mails to some of those you have listed. Are you growing freesia viridis?

Yes I have it.

Didn't we talk about you joining the Pacific Bulb Society? Did you ever do that? They have a LOT of SA bulbs which they offer to their members at a nominal cost.

Idid join them but I have not seen anything for sale. Of course I could not figure out how to ask questions yet.

I just sent you a dmail. Since I hadn't seen your post above, I think I gave you a lot more info in that dmail than you needed. But please feel free to ask me any questions about them via dmail. If I don't know the answer I can refer you to someone who does.

Sorry I got so sidetracked.

Boy Marie, you are so dedicated to dig them up every year! I wonder if they will do as well in pots. Hard to love plants that do not love your zone.

I need to look up some of your bulbs. I love having a new love affair!

The bulbs I had posted are:

Haemanthus humilus hirsutus

And
Haemanthus deformis

Hi Marilyn!

I can't find where I said lachenalia pot. I might have been referring to the small 4 inch pot you gave me recently of those tiny little so cute lachenalia.

Or the bulbs that caught my attention in a big way years ago at a friends.

Kell - I'm emailing you some old plant lists from Dylan Hannon and Tom Glavich, two very good bulb growers. Tom had Haemanthus deformis; I'll bet he still does. He also might have the other Haemanthus you want.

Go ahead and email them for their current plant lists and ask about the particular plants you want.

Thanks so much Marilyn. I have been momentarily sidetracked to tulips. Will be back to SA bulbs soon and will sure do what you said.

So many plants and so little time.

You're very welcome.

Tulips? I hope you like digging them up every year and have lots of room in your fridge to chill them. The other alternative is to treat them as annuals. Generally speaking it's too warm here for tulips.

Kell you might want to try some species tulips. I have had some of those come back. Talk with Aaron at Eden's blooms he can help you with those :o)

which ones Marie, those clusianas, Jane and Lilac Wonder came back the 2nd year at a declining rate and didn't return on the third. Was it my weather or was it bulb quality? I don't know. I may try then again but low on my list b/c there are others more reliable.


This message was edited Jan 29, 2010 5:59 PM