I have heard that some of the hippeastrums are supposed to have a nice scent, but I have never experienced any scent from any of the flowers that I've had bloom for me yet... I have an Amputo, but it's sulking on a shelf, no growth in sight... so, I'll have to wait on that one...

I think the fact that I smoke has a lot to do with my nose not catching the scents of flowers if they are light. I can smell the lilacs out in the garden, and other heavily scented flowers... I smell food, fresh coffee, and all the normal odors associated with every day life... I know immediately when Emma or Maia are gassy... hehe!

As far as I know, my Apple Blossom didn't have a scent... maybe because it's very light, and hidden by the cigarette smell in the apartment... all I can smell on a daily basis is smoke, coffee and dogs!

I have a Misty growing scapes, and as soon as she decides to bloom, I'll report on whether there is a scent or not... it must be a trumpet thing... Misty is slow growing... and Amputo is mad at me, or something!

Of the Amaryllids-family Hymenocallis, Ismene and Amaryllis belladonna have a much higher intensity of fragrance than Hippeastrum. From different sources the following species should be fragrant: H. ambiguum var. tweedianum, H. brasilianum, H. fragrantissimum, H. immaculatum, H. tucamanum and H. vittatum, a special case is H. calyptratum called a real "stinker".
From my own experience in hybrids the most intensive fragrancy has the 'Striped Panther'. The doubles 'Jewel' and 'Florence May Maguire' are in the middle-field, the bright pink hybrids 'Apple Blossom', 'Amoretta' and 'San Remo' have only a low fragrancy as the orangecolored 'Desire' also. In 'Misty' and 'Pink Floyd' I don't know because I didn't realize it than several years ago and my 'Amputo' didn't flower yet.
Greetings
ty

Both my Misty and San Remo are outside, and I have not detected any fragrance from either. I am guessing there is a lot of factors involved in if and when a fragrance my be detected in some flowers.

Cindeea, I am noting that you will get a nodosa. I tried to send you an email but the forum is having some problems. No problem, will try again later. You have to smell Apple Blossom - it has such a nice scent!

Paxfleur, the ylang ylang is so wonderful and the most amazing thing is that when the flowers are dried they keep their scent. You are right about intensity, one flower will fill a room with the scent. I have put them into olive oil as well as epsom salt and it has given both its wonderful scent. I had it in a pot right outside the house and it grew into the ground so that is where it stayed. It wasn't where I intended it at first but the closeness to the house had alowed it to weather a couple of low temp nights/days. It has green seeds on it now but I have never tried to grow them.
Mariava and Houstonpat, I think I will try Amputo and hope it reblooms for me. Would Amputo be a diploid - never bred hippis but have read about this significance and would like to try (I don't need more plants, I don't need more plants.....)LOL
Ty, I would love to try to grow some species but have no idea who has them. Does anyone know?

Jstropics, where in the "tropics" do you live? I've thought about acquiring a seedling of the ylang ylang tree to try in Virginia but it just doesn't seem possible without having a greenhouse. =) So I settle for what I can grow with fragrance (plumerias, gardenias, and jasmines) and simply dream away thinking of that wondrous and heavenly ylang ylang tree that would quiet even the passing barking dog.

Thys - I also noticed that my San Remo this season (it is on it's third scape) had a slight fragrance that I could only smell if I put my nose to it's flower but my Apple Blossoms have always been more stronger in their scent....they almost emitted this sweet scent throughout the room it was in and it's fragrance was much more prevalent than my San Remo. However, since you recommend Pink Panther as a variety of higher fragrance level, I am very interested in acquiring it. I think Wildebloem had it in her collection, I wonder if she can comment on it's fragrance? =)

I think that as we get older our noses don't pick up some of the more faint scents... especially if other things are working against a scent, such as dust in the air, smoke, other odors in the same room... and only one flower can't really give a room a scenting... I think if there were three or more of the same flower in one enclosed space, the scent might be a lot stronger... at least strong enough to pick it up when entering the room...

I'm doomed! I'll never be able to smell a scented hippeastrum! I do have lilacs, roses and lilies due to open in spring, though... so I'm taking my nose outside when the weather gets nice!

Paxfluer,

I am actually in the sub-tropics - northern palm beach county Florida. Although the ylang ylang seems able to handle some cooler weather, they do stop flowering at that time. Can you grow white ginger in your area - the fragrance is identical to gardenia's (to me) and the flowering season is much longer.

Let me know.

Pax,
It is not Pink Panther. It is Striped Panther. :o)

Jstropic,
I was just in Palm Beach, checking out the Lion County Safari (in pouring rain). :o)

Soultan,

I haven't been to Lion Country Safari in a while, but I remember the fun of driving through and seeing all the wild animals. We had friends that lived close by and when we visited we would occasionally hear the lions roar. It was wonderful!
Other then the rain, this is really the perfect time to visit - cooler weather and 'usually' dry. I hope you had a wonderful visit. You will have to let me know when you are down this way again. We'll grab Cindeea and anyone else close by and have an "hippeastrum forum get together" :)

Oh sweet hippe friends- my beloved Daddie died in feb 2005 after having quit smoking for 20 yrs- and got lung cancer. I know it's irritating to constantly hear it but GOD I loved my Daddie so much I'll never get over it I miss him soooo much you can't even imagine how I miss him. I myself have smoked 20 years or so and find the Lozenges the way to go for me I've quit for about 6 mos please reconsider if you've given up, I wish we had these "helpers" before- I have a broken heart and will never smoke again- I miss my Daddie everyday and I'm 42.

Salpal,

It is wonderful to hear about the love someone has for another - and it can never be said too often.

Thank you for caring enough to share your memories and ask us to quit something that can harm us. That's what friends are about.

Soultan, lol thanks....."Striped Panther", I would like this variety! =)

Jstropics - by white ginger, are you referring to Hedychium coronarium? If so, I've tried to grow this ginger in zone 7 and had it for two years but it never bloomed! =( We used to grow these in HUGE clumps in Hawaii and used the flowers for leis. Before I moved to the East Coast, I did bring a clump but upon research, found that they do not easily bloom when grown in pots but rather prefer to be in the ground and eventually had to give up on them after a couple of years of green growth. The crazy thing is when I went to visit the National Arboretum (I live 20 minutes from D.C), I saw the white ginger blooming in a greenhouse in pots! Although the plants weren't exactly in tip-top shape, they had flowers! =) If I was to try again, I would have to get a much bigger pot but I haven't heard of anyone who has had success growing tropical gingers in Virginia. =)

Salpal, I symphasize with your hurt and pain after losing your father in 2005. Although I've never smoked and promise to never do so, it hurts me to see my friends who do so because I care for their health and well-being so much. Unfortunately, for most of my friends, smoking has become part of their lifestyle but I don't preach, I simply pray and hope that the rising taxes of tobacco, stricter laws of public smoking, subtle signs of nature, and the many New Year's resolutions hopefully encourages them to end this unhealthy practice. =) But, I can only speak for my own.....if smoking makes you happy and keeps you calm and sane, by all means, do you. =) I'm sorry for your loss, my heart just sank after reading your post because I could really feel your pain and concern through your post.

Paxfleur,

Yes, the white ginger I referred to is Hedychium coronarium. I bought it at a plant sale and it took a few years to establish in a large pot, which it then quickly filled before it began to flower consistently. My small rhizome has now developed into three very large clumps. I annually divide and small divisions are easy to give away as I only have to bring people a flower - the scent gets you every time LOL

Salpal... I'm so sorry for your loss... my parents both passed away from leukemia... my Dad suffered for 10 long years... my Mom followed him a couple of years later, developing acute leukemia that took her within 6 months... I know the pain of losing parents... I'm only 47.

Several of our friends have recently quit smoking with the help of Chantix, which really does work. Some have become smoke-free within a week. Quitting smoking has to be a total commitment or nothing will help. I'm very close to making that commitment. I will quit, and I do want to quit... but when I do so, I want it to be forever, not just temporary. The gum, lozenges, patches, hypnotism... none of these things work that well. Therefore, I'm getting the prescription for Chantix on the 29th of this month... and after I get it, I will be making that commitment.

As far as tropical flowers go... I wish some of the more fragrant types were easier to keep as house plants in our northern climate! Our air is just too dry in winter, and chilly drafts are just something we have to put up with... the plant industry seems to be making large leaps and bounds in plant breeding, though... it probably won't be long before many of the plants we want to grow indoors will be available in dwarf sizes with hardier constitutions...

Jodi, I applaud your decision to quit smoking and send you prayers and best wishes in making this choice. I am sure your gardening will help you make it through! Gosh, you will have more money to spend on your flowers!

I myself gave up carbohydrates this June when a blood test showed I had passed the border into Diabetis. It was hard but nto terribly because it was summer and I work outside all day, and found other things to eat and the weight dropped off ...probably 40 lbs over the summer and my Blood sugar came down into the normal range. Now I struggle through the dark winter craving carbs and fighting the weight gain from my 7 weeks spent traveling in the fall, and feeling really blue. I know that when my knee works better and I can be outside all day again that my world will tilt back upright, but right now I had to raise my anti-depresent dose. It is a constant battle to keep healthy and strong but I will, I will I will! I intend to live healthily until I am 95 and then drop instantly somewhere under a blooming cherry tree in my garden, while transplanting helebores! That gives me 33 more years at least!

And I know a lot about lupus. I have fibromyalgia and several of my fibro friends have now been diagnosed with lupus, rhumetoid arthritis and muscular dystrophy. I have a genetic problem with loose joints and lousy cartiledge which is not a good combination. Right now I have the two bad knees, bursitis in one shoulder and arhtitis in my hands form planting tulips yesterday that I could not get into the ground before. I still have probably 500 bulbs that should have been in by the end of NOvember.

How aobut if everyone comes over and helps me plant and then Cindee and I will set out the lunch. She can do the napkins and silverware (Plastic) and keep me entertained...deal, Cindee?!

Hedychium coronarium is commonly referred to as Butterfly Ginger here. It is a passalong plant and grows in the garden. It blooms late summer and what a delight when it does. The problem with growing it in a pot is that they need LOTS of water.

Mine didn't bloom at all this year because we had a severe drought. Next year, I will remember that and soak them really well once per week.

My Dad also died from smoking, but the hardest death that I have endured is the accidental death of my brother. He was 42. That was many years ago, and I still miss him terribly. He was 13 months younger than me. He never smoke, never drank, and didn't drink even anything that had caffeine in it.

One never knows... And, it is HARD!

Good idea to stop smoking. You don't hurt yourself or others that way, either. If that is a concern; of course.

Most people quit 2 or 3 times before it sticks. You, and not the drug, have to be committed to breaking the habit, though.

First of all, I truly feel all your pain in losing a loved one. It's something you never get over. Some days are more painful than others. Having gardening friends helps. I lost my dad, brother, two of dad's sisters, my best friend, and my mother to cancer. I hate it! My grandfather on my dad's side was in the Civil war and lived to be 98. Dad's one sister lived to be 102. Go figure. I adopted the Hallelujah lifestyle (vegan) several years ago which has helped eliminate a lot of my problems.

My mom lost her sight to diabetes and she used to buy plants for their "fragrance." Guess this made me appreciate it all the more. I have winter and star jasmine, several citrus (love that fragrance), Orchid Dendrobium Kingianum, and Epiphyllum for frangrance at this point. Apple Blossom will open soon. If anyone has more fragrance suggestions for winters in NJ, please let us snowbirds know about them.

Not that it was easier losing my Dad, but he suffered for so long that his passing was almost a relief... my Mom's illness was so sudden, and her passing so fast, that it seems more painful to me... I miss her constantly. We spent every moment of her last 6 months together, and I am very grateful for that.

I think when death is sudden, it's harder to accept. We don't get a chance to make peace with it within ourselves... When death is imminent, we have time to get a grasp on it, to accept it and make peace with it... either way is hard, but if we have a bit of time beforehand, we tend to have an easier time letting go...

Lizalily - I've wanted to quit smoking before, but I knew that unless I made that total commitment and had a backup helper that really worked, I would never be able to quit. Now I can, and will. I planted so many bulbs this past fall that I never want to see another daffodil or tulip bulb again... but for you, I'd make the trip if I could, to help you plant yours! It's so tough having a disease like Fibro or Lupus... it takes forever to be properly diagnosed, and aside from a few things, there's nothing that really helps the pain or lessens the symptoms much...

Elizabeth - I will have to look up that plant you mention... the Butterfly Ginger... I can water heavily, as evidenced by my poor over-watered Apple Blossom! And I am sorry about your losses, too... it's never easy...

Kitty - This year, I'm planning on getting a few of the old fashioned roses, the ones that smell so heavenly... I had an old pink bourbon rose that grew by the back door of our home years ago, and the scent would fill the kitchen and the back yard every summer! It was wonderful! I should have taken some cuttings when we left, but I didn't even think of it in the melee of moving! I, too, have changed my diet to a more natural one, detoxifying my body of all preservatives and other food chemicals... and I must say, I feel much better. There's something to be said for eating right and getting the proper balance of vitamins and minerals...

I'll be patiently waiting for my Amputo and Misty bulbs to bloom, and in the meantime, I'll be ordering nicely scented roses and other plants from my newly acquired catalogs!

Thanks to everyone for the kind words, I hope I wasn't out of line. Jodi I'm excited for you and rooting for you! Cancer is a crappy disease and it seems all of us have had our own sad experiences with it.
Has anyone grown the chilean jasmine? I saw it on the M&Z web site they said it was in the mandevilla family and it attracts me. Everyone here is so sweet...another plus I guess like a sweet flower's smell...
I was checking my dormant bulbs today and found Jewel already sporting 2 scapes with a large offshoot also with a scape. (needless to say Jewel has come upstairs and joined the newbies!)

Nothing beats this relative of Hippeastrum in fragrance.
Just one bloom is enough for the room.

{{gwi:27664}}

ARIF

What is it's name Arif?

Salpal, it's a crinum lily. For some reason though, we used to grow crinum lilies all over Hawaii and I NEVER noticed it's fragrance....how weird! I used to grew these in pink, white, and that above maroon colors.

Paxfleur,

Like you, I have never noticed any scent on them - and they grow all over S.Fl (expecially around commercial buildings as they are very big (very). I did google them (this forum has me googling and learning a lot) and found that some are fragrant. I will now be smelling the criunums for sale to find a fragrant one!

Jodik, I would be happy to send you a rhizome of the white butterfuly ginger (found there is at least white and yellow - thanks google) when your weather warms up in your region. Just, please remind me as my memory ....huh what were we talking about?

LOL! Thanks, Jstropic! I'll write it down in my journal and remind you when warm weather breaks! If I can remember where I put my journal, that is! I'm so bad at remembering things! I constantly write things down and then forget where I wrote them down at! I misplace lists all the time and have to re-write them, or go shopping and forget to bring the list I wrote out with me! Then, when I get home, I find I have forgotten to buy the one thing I went shopping for... but I've managed to buy lots of other things I really don't need!

My husband and I were discussing the scourges of getting older just last night! I have no memory, I need reading glasses to see anything smaller than a walnut, I can't hear anything unless it's turned up loud... and because I can't hear, I tend to shout instead of talking in a normal voice... and I'm not even that old yet! Larry said he's going to order me the Miracle Ear from the tv commercial! He's joking, but I might be needing one in the near future, for real! Getting older is really taking its toll on me! It's crazy!

Anyway... um... oh yeah! I would love a rhizome of the white butterfly ginger! Than you so much! I'll trade you something... I grow lots of different perennials and other things... and I will have lots of hippi seeds... I'll email you and we can discuss it further...

Google is a wonderful search engine! I've learned a lot googling things that I'm not sure about or am looking for...

Jstropic... I think you'll have to email me first... I see that your email is not available... here's mine, and I will keep yours private if you wish, not a problem... thanks!

Rumpelstiltskin@hughes.net

It would be much appreciated if you would do the same with my personal information, too, jodik.

Jodik,

Sent you an email

Thanks, got it, Jstropic!

I am in the habit of respecting private information... and people... if someone's email is not listed on their GW Page, it has no way of becoming public knowledge...

Thank you, jodik; I just thought I might specifically ask. Since we did trade, you do have more information than just a GW email. It is certainly appropriate to request that you keep my personal info private.

Thanks again.

Unexpected discovery: this nice flower named 'Popov' has a light scent too, similar in intensity to 'Appleblossom' and never as much as 'Striped Panther', which is flowering at the same time now.

'Popov'
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Greetings
ty

Nice flower! Very tight petal configuration with nice colors!

Is it this dark? I bought one this year from Holland. They didn't have anything else, but they sent a bulb with a planter for $16, free shipping, so I had to order... I wanted Popov for a long time anyway, but I always thought that it's marks were red, but yours look more like velvet claret. It is a surprise. I can't wait to plant it when it's time is here... I also did not know it had scent... Surprises, surprises.
Am I also correct to assume from your picture that the markings are present on the back side of the petals too or that's just optical illusion?

It depends much from the light. In the morning hours with all the snow outside the windows the colors are quite bluish. Now in the evening with electric lights the color of the tepals is a bright firy-red and only a small inner region is as dark and velvet claret as shown in the picture. In comparision to 'Minerva' the hole impression is of a (little) darker red. Perhaps the dark background when taking the pictures changes colors too. On the back side the markings are less gay, more "milky".
Scent was an absolute surprise for me too and I didn't realize it last year. (Not the same bulb!)
ty

Ty,

Very lovely flower. Striped Panther has a strong scent?

Excuse me please - I am not so expert in the english language. If we translate strong scent as german "strenger Geruch" it will say with political correctness that it's terribly stinking. If we translate as "starker Duft" it means the intense scent, in 'Striped Panther' of exotic fruits and flowers - a fantastic perfume for my nose. And one flowering plant fills a room really with it's perfume, my experience is two years now with 'Striped Panther', and even if the flowers did change a lot in color and the whole plant in the height (same bulb), they didn't change that wonderful scent.
My actual 'S.P.'-flower is much brighter, the plant much higher (from 2 ft last year to 3 ft) and with 7 new leaves grown together with the flowers now. Bulbs circumference 11".

None. No fragrance in any of mine.

Thys and hopflower,

I wonder if the 'Striped Panther' sold in Europe is different then the one sold in the U.S.? What else would explain this large difference. One has a perfume that fills a room and one has no scent?? What do you think?

Personally, I would love the one that has the wonderful perfume. Thys and hopflower, would you mind sharing where you each purchased your S.P. from? Thanks!

Soultan, the red colours of this picture are preciser for the normal daylight impression of 'Popov'.
'Popov'
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jstropic, though a big search it was nowhere to be found, wherefrom my first 'Striped Panther' comes from. But most probably it was "Royal Colors", NL.

Kind regards
ty

Ty,

Thanks. Sadly, Royal Colors does not offer it at this time. I will continue to look for it as I really enjoy scented plants and can only hope it becomes available again.

My recently blooming Hippi, which with help IDing I believe to be an Amigo, has a fragrance (to my surprise). I smelled something from the blooms before I left (I had to be right up to the flowers) it smelled spicy like black peppers -- which I find pleasant (and which remind me of my sweet BF). It was stronger when I got back and all blooms were open.

I would rate it 'gentle' fragrance strength: it smelled strong up at the flower but was very 'soft' and 'gentle' scenting in the room without a lot of air flow. I think that if there was any more air movement it would be nearly unnoticable. It wasn't a stinker like the Narcissus bulbs I have.

Happy growing,

Liltika

Just to update everyone on fragrances from hippeastrums to note:

Hercules - Hercules bloomed for me a week ago and is currently on it's 2nd scape in full bloom. I note a faint scent that is sort of spicy/peppery yet sweet. I don't know if anyone is familiar with the shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) but it is very close to that scent but 98% fainter and I must emphasize very subtle in fragrance.

Striped Panther - YAY!! Finally, I acquired this jewel and it opened two flowers on it's first scape today. =) I note, a sweet fragrance that so far, faint. The scent is similar to freshly ripened papayas. My flowers are still new and although the flowers opened this morning, even now well into the evening, no pollen grains have ripened or "fluffed up" (Perhaps it takes this flower longer to mature?). I'm hoping that as the flower matures, the scent will become more prevalent and strong, but so far, you can only smell the sweet papaya-like scent only if you put your nose to the flowers.

Pax- pray tell, where ever did you manage to aquire a striped panther from? This is one I really wish I could find.

Paxfleur, it seems that Striped Panther is fragrant in the daytime & not much at night. I'm sure that humidity plays a role in carrying the scent as well. It took a little bit longer to open & mature but I thought is was the lower temps in my greenhouse slowing it down. I am very pleased with the scent & the flower is just lovely.

Amputo has a good scent, light & sweet like lilies with a citrus undertone.

Pink Floyd has a stronger scent than Amputo but softer than Striped Panther. It's a little touchy to grow, needs more heat than most & hates being bare rooted. I think it's a selection of or primary hybrid of H. doraniae.

Blossom Peacock has a light scent, to my nose about the same as Appleblossom. It also has the happy habit of popping up bloom scapes in mid summer : )It seems to throw more scent from it's summer blooms, maybe it's just more heat & humidity at work.

Appleblossom & Ludwig Dazzler both have good scent -if you can find the right version-. I think there are several editions on the market, some with no fragrance at all.

What I have as H. vittatum is very fragrant. I'm not totally sure that it is true to name & I plan on testing it's ploidy againts Calgary to see if it's dip or tet.It seems awfully big for a dip :~

Misty, I've not caught any fragrance from it at all.

It seems to be a bit difficult to breed for fragrance. It seems that both parents need scent genes or the children get very little or nothing : ( Since there aren't that many scented hippis available to work with it narrows the possibilities. I did get a great cross with Pink Floyd and the fragrant white trumpet noid from Hadeco & have about 100 seedlings from last year. I'm betting they have a good chance for scent.
I'm also a little worried about my Pink Floyd X Jade Serpent babies. If it takes scent from both parents, and one smell like lilies & the other has genes for burnt plastic scent will the babies smell like burnt plastic lilies.......... Lora

Red Knight is just blooming for me and it is slightly scented.

My husband tells me that most of my hippis have had a faint scent... my sniffer doesn't work as well as his, so he may be right. He tells me that it's always very subtle, but he can tell when a flower opens because he can smell it, and most often, it is pleasant.

The only one I've really smelled a scent on is Amigo... it was very faint, but it smelled nice.

They all have this typical Hippie smell, which is quite earthy, wet and green grass like. Then there are the blooms that have sweet fragrance. This is my experience.

Striped Panther has the sweetest smell so far for me...

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And Striped Panther with other "striped beauties" in bloom... Giraffe (top) and Cupido (left).
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Lora...I wonder what the noid Hadeco white trumpet is...could it be Trentino? Attached is a link to Trentino thread if you want to look at it...

Here is a link that might be useful: Trentino thread

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Mine still smell like ripen papayas; yum! =)

Salpal - I got my Striped Panther from Royal Colors. =)

Lora - I haven't noticed the scent of my Striped Panther to fluctuate during the day/night but I'm guessing it might be because I keep all my plants in my house and keep every room in my house in the 80's temps almost constantly. I'm definitely getting Amputo next season but have Pink Floyd which is in scape currently. =)

Hiya Maria,
Not Trentino, not anything listed at the Hadeco site : )
I consider it a very happy accident.

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Very slow grower, still in a 4 inch pot & no offsets. It breeds diploid & has a date with Striped Panther pollen :o

Paxfleur, my greenhouse hits the upper 40's at night so temperature must be the answer. It also accounts for the difference in color saturation.

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SP is peeking up in the center bottom. I didn't get a very good photo of SP by itself, my camera has a faulty card & won't work at all now & the 2nd Pink Floyd X Emerald is opening, arrgh! Lora