Haemanthus coccineus

Haemanthus coccineus - Flower — Haemanthus coccineus – Flower

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How to grow

Paint Brush Lilly, or Blood Lily

A strange and wonderful late summer flowering plant, Haemanthus coccineus, is commonly called the Paint Brush Lilly.

The flowers appear on bare stems with no foliage. You know when they are about to flower as the top of the large bulbs split, a shoot is sent up and then the blood red paintbrush like flower appears.

After the flowers die back you need to wait until autumn for the large strap-like foliage to appear, and this lasts well through winter and spring.

A number of other Haemanthus species are also worth growing.

How to grow Haemanthus coccineus – Basic Care

In a well drained soil this is very easy care bulb. It flowers reliably for us every year. We use very little fertiliser, and never water them unless we have a very dry winter.

Haemanthus coccineus - Foliage — Haemanthus coccineus – Foliage

Position/Light
Best grown in full sun to a little afternoon shade. Give the plant room to show off its flowers, so open and not overshadowed.
Soil
A free draining soil is essential, add extra drainage material such as perlite iii growing in pots, gravel or horticultural grit .
Planting Depth
Plant Haemanthus with the tip just below the surface. This is not like many other bulbs which are planted deeper.
Watering
This is a plant that will survive on natural rainfall. In the garden you may never need to water Haemanthus. In pots use a wet dry cycle of watering tending to leave the dry cycle for longer.
Mulch
A gravel much will help suppress weeds and retain a little moisture but more importantly give the plant a cool root run. Organic Mulch that breaks can also be used.
Fertiliser
Low nitrogen fertilisers are best and over fertilising can cause problems. You could try a little slow release fertiliser once a year in late summer. Or better still a high potash organic fertiliser.
Problems
Mealybugs, Aphids and Spider Mites can all be treated using usual methods.
Fungal disease caused by poor drainage and/or high humidity needs to be treated by improving drainage and airflow.

Climate
A Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing outdoors.
In areas with very cold winters, you will need to grow these bulbs in containers and overwinter indoors.
In zones with very hot and dry conditions, protection from the sun may be required.

Propagation

These are very easy bulbs to propagate by division and also possible from seed. Seed needs to be fresh and sown directly after collection.

You can divide them every 5 – 6 years which will improve the growth.

The best time to divide Haemanthus coccineus is when the plant is in dormancy in early winter.

Pruning

No pruning is required, simply remove the dead foliage.

Summary Information

Botanical Name – Haemanthus coccineus
Botanical Family – Amaryllidaceae
Common Name – Paint Brush Lilly, or Blood Lily
Position – Full sun to a little shade.
Climate zone – Cool to warm Temperate. Not suited to subtropical or tropical areas.
Soil – Well drained to dry, best in sandy soil with some moisture through summer.
Height – To around .6 metres.
Spread – To around .8 metres across when in full foliage.
Growth Rate – Medium
Flowers – Brilliant orange-red.
Flowering Time – Summer.
Foliage – Large, deep green scrappy leaves.
Frost tolerant – Yes.
Drought tolerant -Yes.

Haemanthus bulbs are available for sale from the following nurseries

WHITE HOUSE NURSERY - Jess Exiner & Peter Harris
412 James Lane, Fern Hill VIC. 3458 - Phone 0419002651
Large range of Rare plants, Climbers, Bulbs, Perennials Fruit Trees, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. Available both Retail and by Mail Order
www.whitehousenursery.com.au