The Bulb Maven

Hippeastrum nelsonii

Two or three years ago I was contacted and asked if I would be interested in exchanging some bulbs for bulbs of Hippeastrum nelsonii.  Well, I didn't hesitate for one second and the bulbs arrived in very good condition.  They were not mature, and this year they have bloomed for the first time, each bulb sending up one or two beautiful flowers.

This lovely species is native to Bolivia, as are many very desirable bulbs.  It is known from only three locales, all at low elevation, and is evergreen, said to bloom in the spring, but mine are in bloom now in January.  I have been growing it in my standard Hippeastrum mix and keeping the bulbs on my heated benches.  The benches are kept at about 63F and  can be seen here: http://thebulbmaven.typepad.com/the_bulb_maven/greenhouse-tips/page/2/  I should add that I am no longer using perlite in my mix, and use horticultural pumice and peat, about 65% pumice to 35% peat.  In the past I could not get pumice in bulk, but now I can and I buy it by the pallet.  I can't recommend it too highly for growing bulbs.

 

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Hippeastrum calyptratum

Hippeastrum calyptratum is one of my favorites.  The flowers are so unusual, a beautiful jade green, and the form is very orchid-like.  I have two different forms, one which is a beautiful clear green and has no scent that I can detect.  The other has larger flowers with pink anthers and streaks of red on the outer petals and has a very strong scent.  It is in bloom now, and as soon as I enter the greenhouse it makes its presence known.  The scent is not wonderful, more like something an arum would produce, and that makes me think about its pollinator, for usually these kinds of scents are there to attract flies, but H. calyptratum is said to attract bats.  H. calyptratum is from Brazil, from the Organ mountains and grows as an epiphyte on trees and rocks.  I haven't found it difficult to grow and it seems to enjoy our cool and humid climate.  The pictures show the plain green one above, the one with pink anthers below.

 

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Hippeastrum psittacinum

I have often been asked what the 'secret' is to growing bulbs,especially ones that can be reluctant to bloom. While potting mix is very important, and providing an environment as close to the climate it grows in is critical, I would say patience is the most important ingredient.  Sometimes I have waited many, many years for a bulb to bloom, but eventually it does happen.

I have had a bulb labeled Hippeastrum glaucescens for some years, and it finally has rewarded me with a flower.  I was a bit puzzled since the flower did not resemble pictures on the internet and scholarly articles on Hippeastrum are few and far between, so identifying a bulb can be problematic.  I posted on the blog under H. glaucescens and a kind reader corrected me and says it is Hippeastrum psittacinum, also a very welcome species!

The name means parrot like, referring to the brilliant coloring.  It is from Brazil and grows in full sun to partial shade.  I have kept mine on my heated benches, and that was a lucky guess!

 

 

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Hippeastrum yungacense

The weather is hideous, constant rain and very violent winds, but when I walk into the greenhouses it is calm and there is always something to cheer me.  Some of my Hippeastrums are blooming now, and Hippeastrum yungacense is especially beautiful. I have three accessions of this species and they are all slightly different.  The one pictured above is my favorite with especially bright colors.

Hippeastrum yungacense is native to Bolivia, as are many wonderful bulbs. It derives its name from a stretch of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes, running from Peru and Bolivia to northern Argentina.  The Bolivian Yungas ranges from 400 to 3500 meters (1,300 to 11,500 ft.), and is largely a very warm moist forest, so I would guess that this species prefers some shade and extra moisture and humidity.  Even so, I am still growing it in a mixture of horticultural pumice and peat (about 50/50) and it seems happy. This is a very cool climate here, so I was right in placing it on my heating mats.  This is also a foggy climate, so our humidity should suit it fine.

 

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Hippeastrum yungacense

About a year or more ago I traded a bulb for a mature bulb of H. yungacense.  This is often the only way to find new species, trading with other collectors of the genus. It is great fun, and since the bulbs are not commercially grown, they are usually sent fresh with their roots and are free of disease.  The bulb arrived in great condition and, not knowing how to grow this species, I placed it on one of my heated benches, where it has flourished.  It produced a pair of striking flowers this year.

Hippeastrum yungacense is native to Bolivia, as are many wonderful bulbs.  It derives its name from a stretch of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes, running from Peru and Bolivia to northern Argentina.  The Bolivian Yungas ranges from 400 to 3500 meters (1,300 to 11,500 ft.), and is largely a very warm moist forest, so I would guess that this species prefers some shade and extra moisture and humidity.  Even so, I am still growing it in a mixture of horticultural pumice and peat (about 50/50) and it seems happy.  This is a very cool climate here, so I was right in placing it on my heating mats.  This is also a foggy climate, so our humidity should suit it fine.

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Hippeastrum solandriflorum

H. solandriflorum

I have very little information on this beautiful species.  Checking with the Kew index, they say it is from Costa Rica to Brazil, and that it is also called H. elegans.

 

Whatever its name, it is exquisite, with long tapered trumpets in pairs on tall elegant stems.   The flowers are lightly fragrant, with a sweet lemon like scent.  It is probably pollinated by bats or moths.  I grow mine in almost pure pumice on my heated bench, although one reference I found said that they need a cold winter.  They do need to be grown on the dry side and kept dry in winter when they are dormant.   I acquired several immature bulbs about four years ago, and finally, this year, they all rewarded me with blooms.

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Hippeastrum macbridei

Hippeastrum macbridei

 

Hippeastrum macbridei is a very beautiful and very rare species from Peru.  I have had my bulbs for several years, and finally they are coming into bloom.  I am thrilled.  The buds open a pale lemon yellow and fade to almost white.  I have little information on this lovely species, so I am growing it on a heated bench where the bulbs kept at a minimum of 68F year round, and they seem to be thriving.  Some very rare species I simply don't have enough of to list on the web site, so, for the first time, I am offering a bulb on eBay, and we'll see how that goes.  I have an extra bulb I am willing to trade for a desirable species.

Another beautiful Hippeastrum is in bloom now for the first time.  I am not quite sure of the identity of this lovely species, but it most closely resembles H. caupolicanense.  Any help in identifying this beautiful Hippeastrum would be much appreciated.  It is NOT H. blossfeldiae, H. puniceum or H. striatum.  They are all in bloom, and don't look a bit like this species.  Here it is below.

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Hippeastrum vittatum

Hippeastrum vittatum is a very well-known species that also presents a great deal of confusion as far as its origins are concerned.  I always try to find out the origins and habitat of a species when I grow it, otherwise you are left guessing as to what kind of conditions it needs.  H. vittatum is described as A) being from Peru; B) being from Argentina; C) being from Bolivia and D) being from Brazil!!  It is also described as being a hybrid, not a species.

I think the confusion arises from the fact that it was collected in Peru but it was in cultivation there, and is not native to that country.  I have no idea why Brazil and Argentina got into the act, since it was collected in the 1800's in Bolivia, and described as native to Bolivia.  It has been used extensively as a parent in creating hybrids, so some bulbs that are circulated as H. vittatum hybrid have also added to the confusion, leading people to believe that it wasn't a pure species at all.

There is a great deal of variation in this species, especially as to the proportions of red and white in the petals.  I have two accessions, both grown from seed, one of which has much more red than the other.  Some have even more red, with only a small amount of white striping.  They are all lovely.  I grow mine in Mix #1, and do not provide extra heat.

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Hippeastrum striatum

If you look up Hippeastrum striatum on the internet, you will get thoroughly confused, since some entries say it is native to Hawaii, and others call it the Barbados Lily (rather a long way from Hawaii).  It is actually native to Brazil, but has made itself at home in Hawaii and, apparently, the Caribbean also.  This is a tropical species, and is very easy to grow as a houseplant.  In spite of its tropical origins, I do not give it extra heat, and it seems to thrive anyway. I grow it in Mix #1.  I have two forms of Hippeastrum striatum, the one that is usually available, growing to about 18-20" tall with large flowers, and a dwarf form that only reaches about ten inches, with smaller flowers.  The small one is very charming.  The upper picture is of the large one, the lower picture of the small one.

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Hippeastrum solandriflorum

I have only recently acquired Hippeastrum solandriflorum, and my bulbs are not yet mature, so I have no pictures, but photographs can be found on the internet, and it is quite spectacular, with elongated white trumpet shaped flowers.  It is from Venezuela, and grows in seasonally flooded savannah, experiencing a dry dormancy in winter.  I am growing mine in pumice in deep pots with about 1/3 of the bulb exposed.  They are on one of the heated benches. 

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