Bulbs to light up winter
Head-turning Hippeastrums add a dash of vibrant glamour to darkest days
WHEN my grandmother uttered the words ‘I’m not sure you’re going to like it’ as she passed me a birthday present, I braced myself for the worst. Removing the wrapping paper, I found a box adorned with a picture of an exotic-looking plant with huge pink and white flowers.
Any normal teenager would have reacted with fake gratitude, but I was genuinely delighted to receive a Hippeastrum ‘Apple Blossom’ growing kit. Opening the box, I lifted out a ceramic pot, a packet of compost and a massive bulb with fleshy, tentacle-like roots.
The bulb was duly potted up and placed on my bedroom windowsill. Eight weeks or so later, a cluster of long, dark green leaves surrounded a stout, 15in stalk, topped with several trumpet-shaped flowers measuring 8in across.
Even now, 30-odd years later, I remember my delight at witnessing such horticultural alchemy – and during the past decade I’ve returned to growing these bulbous perennials, sold in late autumn and winter.
Hippeastrums are native to Central and South America. Although too tender to be grown outdoors in Britain, they make fantastic flowering houseplants. Some gardeners, and even shops, have given these plants the common name amaryllis, which is a bit off-beam – Amaryllis belladonna is actually the botanical name for a hardier bulbous perennial from South Africa, whose pink flowers are generally seen in sunny spots outdoors in autumn.
Breeding work since the late 18th Century has led to hundreds of different varieties. Among the most popular are brilliant white ‘Snow Queen’, red-and-white-striped ‘Fairytale’ and ‘Picotee’, with its white flowers edged in red. ‘Rapido’ produces lots of slightly smaller scarlet flowers and ‘Susan’ carries her rounded blooms with clear pink petals on 3ft stems.
If you want something really special, go for Hippeastrum papilio or butterfly amaryllis, a species from Brazil that was discovered in 1967. Its 5in-wide, creamy-white flowers with a green throat are heavily striped with a deep burgundy red. These elegant blooms could easily pass for the most beautiful orchid.
Of the so-called spider group, ‘Sumatra’ has salmon-red flowers and ‘Evergreen’ produces slender, swept-back, lime-green petals. My favourite of the lot is ‘Chico’, thanks to its spectacular flower heads that look like some sort of bizarre sea creature – its petals are a combination of ivory, green and burgundy.
Hippeastrum bulbs are bigger than most so make sure you pick a pot that’s wide enough for one to fit comfortably, with plenty of room underneath for its fleshy roots.
These plants need well-drained compost, so combine a handful of Perlite with multipurpose compost. Spread a thin layer of the material across the bottom of the pot and lower in the bulb. When all the roots are inside, add more compost. Don’t bury the bulb – its neck and shoulders should remain above the surface. Water the compost and place the pot on a cool, southfacing windowsill.
OVER the next few weeks, a flower stalk will appear. As it develops, it will grow towards the light, so turn the pot round every day to ensure the stalk remains upright. During this period the plant should be watered occasionally. When flower buds appear, feed weekly with a weak solution of liquid tomato fertiliser high in potash.
Flowers usually last for about three weeks before they start to fade – allow the stalk to die back naturally before pulling it away from the bulb. The foliage will continue to grow – keep plants well watered and feed weekly with a general-purpose plant food.
Resist the temptation to cut back leaves if they start to flop, as they help to bulk up bulbs before the next lot of flowers. Keep plants tidy by inserting a small bamboo cane in the centre of the pot, then gather up the leaves and secure to the stake with twine.
In early autumn, the leaves will start to turn yellow. Allow the compost to completely dry out and let the foliage die back. When flower shoots appear a few months later, you can start the growing process all over again.