Well, I guess that means no one is growing these rare Amaryllid gems....a shame...they are both beautiful and unusual at the same time.....I will just muddle along and hopefully get some flowers so that I can post a pic :o) Dan

Hi Dan,
I intend to buy this bulb next spring and can't find any growing information about it. How about yours now? Can you share your experience with me? Thanks in advance. Han

Hi Han, I have found it to be quite easy potted as above. I have around a dozen of them actively growing right now under lights. Mine have grown nicely in size, although they have not graced me with a flower as of yet. When the leaves start to yellow I stop watering and about 4-5 months later I water again to get them out of dormancy.......pretty darn easy actually :o) Dan

Thanks, Dan. My another question is do you provide extra light for all your bulbs? I intend to buy some rare bulbs, but not ready to provide them extra light in winter. Han

Han, I absolutely provide extra light......I have two 400W MH lamps in the basement with many bulbs under them....Worsleya, Boophane, Brunsvigia, Paramongaia, etc. etc. I also have many fluorescent bulbs with more common and smaller bulbs like the Rauhia, Massonia, Haemanthus, etc. The only plants that are in windows are those that are shade-loving.....Veltheimia, Dracontium, etc. These arre all in south facing windows by the way so they get a lot of light, but still way less than in a bright, shady position outside for the summer. Best of luck with your acquisitions........I'm getting ready for more imports from South Africa in about 3 months myself :o) Dan

Dan, thank you very much. I read your messages regarding growing Cardiocrinum in container. I've just ordered it online and would like to know how often do you water it in winter?
Another question regarding Worsleya. I read it should be watered everyday. If it's true, then I can't grow it at all. What do you do, when you're away?
and regarding Boophane. I thought it's dormant in Winter?
Sorry that I'm asking so many questions, as I'm a newbie in bulbs. But I've taste.(Start with rare, expensive and difficult bulbs)lol.

Hey, Dan! You know I'm a big fan of rare bulbs from South America and South Africa! Rauhia is one I haven't looked into yet, and I see that Telos doesn't have it available this year. They don't have a photo of it on their website, so I Googled and came up with a bit of information and a few photos at www.bulbsociety.org... here's what they had to say:

"The prettiest of the 3-4 Rauhia species, R. decora has green flowers (like all Rauhia), but with long curved stamens that give them the elegant look of a Eucrosia. Young leaves are attractively tesselated with silver giving them a jewel-like look.

Like all Rauhia species, R. decora produces two large, round, succulent leaves. It should be planted in gritty mix (a standard potting soil mixed 50% by volume with coarse sand), and allowed to dry off for a winter rest. Begin watering again when new growth is seen emerging from the center of the bulb. The bulb should be planted half out of the soil. Light shade in hot climates, full sun in cool coastal climates. They are probabaly not tolerant of freezing temperatures.

All Rauhia species are restricted to dry, Inter-Andean valleys of the Utcumbamba and Maranon river basins in north-central Peru at elevations of 800 to 1200 meters. seed germinates readily and shuld be handled like any other amaryllid. Allow the seedlings to grow without rest until the first leaves begin to yellow.

Dr. Alan Meerow"

They're delightful looking flowers... very different! But then, you never seem to grow anything common or ordinary, Dan! From what I can tell by looking at the photos, the mix they're planted in appears gritty and coarse, rather like the bonsai mix I have all my hippeastrums in. Their culture seems rather like that of our hippeastrum bulbs, being tender bulbs, planted only halfway in the soil, with a dry winter rest included.

Another very interesting and unique rare bulb... I've got quite a list going of the various rare bulbs I hope to order in the not so distant future!

I hope your Rauhia bulbs bloom this coming spring or summer... I'd love to see photos!

Hi Jodi, Our mixes are likely fairly similar....mine is a good potting mix with very little peat, perlite and charcoal.....more or less 1:1:1, but perhaps a bit less charcoal. I hope to see one blooming soon, but you just can not rush these things!!

Jodi, I've got a wonderful and large Brunsvigia radulosa with a fantastic spike forming......I will post pics to the Amaryllis forum when it opens.....I can not wait.....should be impressive!!

Han, I'm all for rare bulbs, but they can sometimes be tricky....the real key is to just let them tell you what they want in terms of water, etc.

Boopane haemanthoides is a purely winter grower. B. disticha can be summer growing or almost completely evergreen....I have many forms of this wonderful fella....then there are ones like B. 'Port Elizabeth' that for me so far has been evergreen, B. sp. Aus Namibia which has been winter growing, etc. I grow my Boophane in pure 100% grit.......pumice, volcanic cinder, chick grit, whatever I have at the time of purchase and the size of the bulb.

I got in 4 new Boophane disticha this past Nov......all of them are now starting to leaf out on heat mats under grow lights......sort of a pain, but they want to grow because they think it is summer!

Worsleya, I water mine every 2-3 days when in active growth and around once per week or maybe every 10 days when in their semi-dormancy. They are planted in pure pumice or volcanic cinder.

Cardiocrinum.....I put all of mine in the ground....got tired of the monster pots......when in pots I watered only once every month during the winter.....just to keep a bit of moisture.....do not overwater or you will rot it in the winter.

I will be ordering some more Boophane disticha, numerous species of rare Crinum and other goodies from South Africa this spring and summer again......as always, anyone is free to go in with me on these orders.....I never charge more than the bulbs cost, but I do have rules that need to be followed so I do not get the short end of the stick......I also only order massive, specimen size and therefore expensive bulbs, but that is just what I do :o) Dan

First of all, I can't wait to see photos of your Brunsvigia in bloom! That will be quite a treat!

Second, I've been fussing with medium mixes since my H. Amalfi wound up with a bad case of rot. I was forced to do a little surgery to remove the rotted parts, and it was then I decided that my environment and soil were clashing and required some tweaking.

After researching and trying several different soil mixes, I settled on a slight variation of Al's Mix. It's made with pine bark fines, turface or granite chips, a bit of crushed charcoal, perlite, and a handful or two of good quality potting soil.

What I use is very similar to the bonsai medium sold at my local garden center. Their bagged mix is equal parts pine bark fines and turface, with a pinch of charcoal added. Their mix is also very expensive.

This coming summer, I'll be experimenting with several different gritty mixes, with the desired result being one I can afford to mix myself, using ingredients I can easily locate. It seems that NAPA's oil dry is a good substitute for the turface, as are certain clay kitty litters. I've gained some very good information reading bonsai websites.

Anyway... the more I read, the more interested I become in obtaining and growing some of the more unique bulbs from South Africa, and I also want to get more species and cybister Hippeastrum types.

Ammocharis is at the top of my rare bulb list, with Cyrtanthus, Ledebouria, Lachenalia, Veltheimia, Gladiolus, Scadoxus, and Brunsvigia following. I've also been looking into Boophane and a few others, such as the odd Oxalis, Habranthus and Zephyranthes... even some of the more unusual Nerine and Rhodophiala bulbs interest me.

I'm limited in space and budget, but slowly will save enough to fulfill my wishes! And as you know, there's always room for one more pot!

While I'd love to be a part of your more current ordering, Dan, I'm afraid I just can't afford to buy the larger Boophane bulbs at present. I checked out some of the prices on the larger and more rare bulb types, and they're just out of my reach right now. It's ok, though... this gives me incentive to save, and time to learn enough so I feel I'm ready when I finally can place an order. I'd hate to order too soon and end up killing a bulb I really treasured.

Besides, I still have some bulbs that have never bloomed for me... I'd like to see flowers from my Rhodophiala bifida and my trumpet type Hippeastrum bulbs before I go delving too deep into rare and expensive plants! Once I feel comfortable with my knowledge level, I'll feel better about getting a large Boophane!

Thanks Dan & Judi for the useful information. I saw an Ammocharis in pot (with only leaves) in the Botanical Garden in Dresden in my Christmas trip. It's a very beautiful and impressive bulb.
Dan, I would love to order some bulbs from you. Unfortunately I live in Berlin, Germany. From my comparison, the price of rare plants and bulbs in US is much more cheaper than in Europe. I believe it's because of the bigger order or production, as the market there is bigger. Han

Surprisingly, there really aren't that many places in the US that deal in rare bulbs. It seems most plant growers and sellers go for whatever the public is willing to spend their money on, and in most cases, it's the seasonal and/or common perennials and annuals.

Aside from the few people I've met through the forums here, I know of no one that's interested in growing and collecting the more rare bulbs, even though I find the culture of bulbs to be easier than most other plant types.

In today's society, it seems that the more disposable an item can be, the more the growers or manufacturers push it. I guess the bottom line is making as much money as they can from a product or plant.

I just don't feel that way... which is probably why I'm so broke! In the 25 or 30 years that we bred and sold American Bulldogs, we barely broke even. It was never about making money, though... it was about breeding better dogs. Today's mentality isn't like that, though... it's aimed more toward greed and less toward appreciation for whatever the item, whether flora or fauna.

Sure, I'd like to eventually sell a few bulbs or seeds to help pay for my bulb collecting, but I'm not interested in making gobs of money off the unsuspecting public. My interest is purely in the awe of seeing a rare bulb bloom in my care, or seeing a bulb that I grew from seed bloom for the first time! I am truly inspired by these plants that survive and flourish even though they're far from their point of origin, and are being grown in artificial conditions!

Han, it may be easier for you to obtain seeds from elsewhere in the world, and though it would take a lot longer to grow them to maturity, it may be the only way to obtain some of the rarer items. Ebay occasionally has listings for seeds of rare bulbs and plants, and I know it's safer and easier to ship seeds in many cases.

Basically, I just read as much information as I can find on the bulbs I want to get, and I keep watching Ebay and other sources, hoping to come across young plants or seeds for reasonable prices... I'll eventually have a nice collection, I know. I just have to be patient!

I agree with you, Judi. But interest cannot be forced. Since they're interested in money, then just let them be.
I'm glad that there're still lots of rare plants lovers in this world. Although we hardly meet one in our daily life, we still can see them online.
Almost all of the 'plants lovers' that I know here have the buying and throwing away habit. :-)

Actually, I'm rather glad that there are only a handful of people who love the rarer bulb and plant varieties... once something becomes popular, it gets produced to death just to make money from it. And that's when the gene pool becomes inundated with the weak and diseased, and it all goes downhill from there.

Take the American Bulldog, for example... once a rare and majestic animal, it was popularized by Disney's "Homeward Bound" movie... suddenly, everyone was breeding them, thinking they were going to make a lot of money. And, as is inevitable, the gene pool became unclean and weak, and what is available today is a mere shadow of what once was.

So it is with plants... last spring I bought a package of green flowered Glads, hoping they would be as beautiful as the photo on the package... but after growing and observing them all last season, it is apparent to me that this is not a strong plant with the lovely flowers depicted on the package... the blooms were small and only lasted a short time. I was unimpressed.

I guess it's human nature to want more... but where does it stop? Mankind has ruined almost everything his hands have touched... it's such a shame.

I'm very glad to have found this community online, the forums here at GW... most bulb lovers I've met here are dedicated gardeners and very special people. It takes a very nurturing person to collect and care for the more specialized plant types. It's nice to have a place to meet others with the same passion for bulbs and plants.

The internet has brought the world, and the gardening community, together... we are now able to find plants that we'd never have access to without the internet, and it has allowed us to seek out and find others with similar interests. Now, all we have to do is make it easier to ship some of these plants to other countries!

I did more reading yesterday on Boophane and several other bulb types... the only bit of information I'm lacking is how old a Boophane bulb needs to be to bloom, and how expensive are the mature bulbs? Younger bulbs seem to go for roughly $10, or thereabouts.

I hope the link is helpful.
http://www.rareexotics.com/store/index.php/cat_59

Hi Jodi, My bonsai mix has been 1:1 turface and pine bark for 20 years so I can guarantee this works. I would say that a Boophane needs to be 5-7 years old to bloom if you have ideal conditions. I buy large bulbs for 2 reasons....first, there is a huge difference betwen blooming size and specimen size.......the bulb itself is often as impressive as the leaves/flowers....I consider them architectural. In my climate I will never grow one to true specimen size....zone 6 is not ideal as it turns out ;o) The other thing is that baby bulbs can dessicate during their dormancy if kept bone-dry, whereas a mature bulb just laughs this off. For example, I have a 50+ year old monster size Boophane haemanthoides that I spent a lot of money on....I've had it 3 years now.......If I bought a 5 year old bulb I would not have this specimen in 45 years.....I have it now and I can enjoy it for the next several decades in all its glory......worth the money to me!!

Next summer I will take pics of my truly massive Ammocharis.....7 inches in diameter......quite nice!!

Veltheimia are awesome and easy to grow....I have 2 forms of V. bracteata now and also V. capensis as well as 1 unknown from Guy Wrinkle.....I am supposed to be getting another 4 or more variants of V. bracteata in the spring.....I love them!!

Hey Han, you should check out Silverhill Seeds if you want to go the seed route. I've imported bulbs from Cameron McMaster and they have all been fantastic.....I've bought bulbs from Simply Indigenous......great bulbs.....and lately Penroc......not the same as Simply Indigenous as most people seem to believe wrongly......spectacular specimen and extremely rare bulbs from Penroc!!!

I have purchased from Guy Wrinkle at the link you gave.....he sells phenominal bulbs in my opinion......rare, specimen size bulbs that are awesome!!!

Good growing all :o) Dan

Dan, the Ammocharis that I saw in Botanical Garden in Dresden is about the size of yours. Very impressive! Personally I prefer the leaves of Boophane and flower of Ammocharis.

I haven't made up my mind to buy bulbs yet. First of all I travel often in Winter. I've to find someone to look after it for me. If I solve this problem, I plan to buy a big one. I'm too impatient to grow them from seeds, but it's really expensive. I paid 90 euro for a tree peony, but I don't think I'll pay this price to a bulb.

Well, just wait and see. Perhaps I'll think differently tomorrow. Han

Hi Han, Well, the trick is to get a bulb that is totally dormant for the winter.....Ammocharis fits that bill perfectly as does the right form of Boophane. My winter dormant forms get absolutely NO water during the winter!! You can surely buy a large, blooming size Boophane disticha for under $90 and my large 7" diameter Ammocharis cost $90 and that included shipping from South Africa......a 3 inch diameter bulb is blooming size or nearly so and you can get these for a fraction of that........you should deinately get one.....the trick is to make sure the Boophane is a summer dormant species, but remember you can water once a week or every 10 days and the bulb will be happy for quite a while.....during the summer I water my Boophane 2x per week and my Ammocharis 3-4x per week.......they are potted in very fast draining mix and like a lot of water compared to Boophane which are in pure pumice and get watered less often. Good luck with your decisions :o) Dan

Dan, you're a fountain of knowledge! Thanks for always taking the time to answer!

$90 for a single bulb is out of my price range for now... but things change, so who knows what the future may hold?! I simply can't justify spending $90 for one bulb, even though it's a large, mature bulb. I'm sure I'll be able to buy a large Boophane or Ammocharis at a future date, but not now. I'll either have to begin with smaller bulbs, or wait until the budget allows for the larger ones... and that depends on how long I can wait to get these beauties!

Anyway... I always love seeing your photos... I can sort of live vicariously through them! LOL! I also learn a lot by reading how you take care of your plants... we're only a zone apart, so I'd imagine the situation is similar.

And, hey... the longer I wait to obtain the rarer bulbs, the more I'll know when I finally get them! Less chance of bulb death due to stupidity! LOL!

Dan, thanks for the tips. I notice that the longer I stay in this forum, the bigger is my desire to buy a bulb.:-)
So far I've been spending yearly 500 euro on plants and their accessories. I feel that it's worth to invest in plants, because it's an investment that last for the whole life - either theirs or mine. :-)
The price of bulb is okay for me, provided that they're immortal. :-) That means I've to do lots of reading before buying them. I went through the suppliers that you mentioned above. Do they sell, if I only order one bulb?
Few German internet nurseries have the bulbs too, but small bulbs. One is closed till April, I can see only the list of bulbs without any further information. So I think I'll wait till the shop open.
I've just joined the yahoo worsleya group. I'm interested in that bulb too. So I still have lots of reading ahead of me.:-)
Han

Hi Han, The places I mentioned in South Africa (except Cameron) are wholesale for the most part......I'm not sure they would deal with a 500 Euro order, but maybe!!

I forgot about the place in Germany....I have looked at their site many times....they supply wholesale to some places in the U.S. There is also a place in the UK (I think it is Paul Christian) that has many exotics and they get plants from the guys in SA that I mentioned.....their prices are very high since they are retailers, but they have some rare plants on a regular basis so that is also an option.

The growers in Aus. are a wealth of info on the Worsleya forum :o) Dan

Dan, I found Paul Christian's shop. http://www.rareplants.co.uk/ His has a better price than the nurseries in Germany. The shipping charges is also reasonable.
The German shop that I mentioned is Exotica. http://www.specks-exotica.com/en/ It's closed till April. I'll wait till it opens.
Thanks for everything, Dan. Hope that I'll start my reading soon. Han

Wow Han, if Paul Christian has good prices compared to the places in Germany then you are in trouble.....the prices at PC are insane......He gets many plants from the wholesalers in South Africa so I know what these plants cost me and him.....the reason I import.......even with airmail shipping so they come fast (and cost a lot more) to the U.S. I can save a ton....his site is excellent for growing info though and I refer to it when I find something really new and unusual where there is very little info on-line.

Best of luck with your purchases :o) Dan

Dan, I'll probably buy from Paul Christian. This year a Boophane & Cardiocrinum and next year an Ammocharis.
I would like to know, do you water your Boophane with rain water? and what type of fertilizer do you use? and how often do you feed it?
I've just found this online.(See the link) Have you read it before?

Here is a link that might be useful: Boophane disticha x Amaryllis belladonna