South African Bulbs/Geophytes 2018

[Steve Garvie]

The recent cooling and increased atmospheric humidity has awakened some South African bulbs here.

First a couple of summer-growers:
Cyrtanthus epiphyticus


Boophone disticha -a summer-grower here in contrast to its cousin below. It has been growing outside since early June.


Gethyllis verticillata (ex Koringberg) -a winter-grower which flowers suddenly in mid-summer.


Boophone haemanthoides -first time flowering though I got it as a young plant 20+ years ago!

[Maggi Young]

Boophone haemanthoides -first time flowering though I got it as a young plant 20+ years ago!

Can't call you a quitter, Steve!! Success at last, eh?

[angie]

Steve worth the wait I think.

Angie 

[ArnoldT]

Well done Steve.

Love the B.  haemanthoides

[fermi de Sousa]

Babiana odorata
cheers
fermi

[PaulFlowers]

Cyrtanthus species flowering in the centra belt and winter growing gladiolus and lachenalia all waking up too. The magpies took the cyrtanthus label so I'm not sure which one.

[PaulFlowers]

This nerine sarensis is SO pink. This has been my best year ever for nerine sarensis. Im hoping it wasn't the long hot period as they were in doors and dormant. Not replicable. A friend watered them early summer by accident and then I gave them a spray of water mid month every
Month. I'd be so happy if they flowered like this every year- even if they're so early!

[fermi de Sousa]

More "spring flowers" now open:
1) Romulea sabulosa
2) Moraea macronyx
3) Romulea hirta
4) Babiana 'Redesdale Harlequin' [B. odorata x B. pygmaea]
5) Bulbinella floribunda
cheers
fermi

[Rimmer de Vries]

Strumaria karooica blooming now in a pot.

[fermi de Sousa]

A couple more of the winter/spring flowering South Africans in our garden:
1 & 2) Moreaea tripetala
3) Bulbinella eburnifolia
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Two pots of Hesperantha latifolia.
The second pic shows a taller plant at the back which could be a hybrid or an interloper
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Eucomis vandermerwei 'Leopard', not a plant I'm particularly fond of. Even though it's a bit past it's best the flowers are never spectacular by any means.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi David,
I'd only heard of the named selection 'Octopus' before so it was interesting to see your 'Leopard'.
We've got seedling grown plants from 'Octopus' which show variation in the spotting. I think 'Leopard' is a better name

Here, the first flowers have finally opened on Lapeirousia oreogena
cheers
fermi

[Paul Cumbleton]

We also got variation when growing Eucomis vanderwerwei from seed. The outstanding clone was the one shown below with intense purple spotting so that almost the whole leaf is purple. The colour is most intense when given maximum sunlight. I have named this clone 'Purple Pixie'

Paul

[johnw]

Of 30 odd Amaryllis belladonna bulbs the first bloomed about 3 years ago.  Now the very same bulb has flowered again, no others.  Have no idea what is required for consistent flowering. A good bake?  If so they got it this year.

Photos by my talented neighbour Mike.

Amaryllis belladonna 'Johannesburg'

john
24c, 65% humidity