Lookin good jodik. Are these what they call Blood Lily ?

You did well, Jodi. When my scadoxus fully opened, it looked like a firework! Amazing bloom indeed! Congrats!

Xuan

Thanks! I believe it is the one called Blood Lily... although, I'd have to check to be sure. I think it may have more than one nickname. It's amazing, indeed! It does look like fireworks!

Here's the Scadoxus during the next part of its opening...

Taken August 21st, in the evening...
{{gwi:423500}}

Taken this morning, August 22nd...
{{gwi:423501}}

It's really opening fast, now! A little longer, and it'll be fully open! What a beauty!

Jodi,
Absolutely gorgeous flower. Congrats!!!!

It gets better! Here are photographs taken on the 23rd, and again on the 24th... look at that explosion of red! I just love this bulb!

August 23rd...
{{gwi:423502}}

{{gwi:389415}}

August 24th...
{{gwi:423503}}

{{gwi:423504}}

This is an amazing flower! It was well worth the wait!

And if that weren't enough, my little Dendrobium keiki is getting a growth! I'm so proud of myself for getting this little guy to grow!

Dendrobium keiki...
{{gwi:187738}}

{{gwi:187739}}

Thanks for looking! Happy Gardening!

OMG, that is one gorgeous plant!!!! That will be on my list for next year for sure. I'd love to get a couple of those going in an urn outside for the summer! The Keiki looks great too! Do you think I use to many (!'s)? LOL

Its Gorgeous Jodi!!! Where on earth did you find her? don't recall ever seeing this in any of the usuall stores HD,grocery etc.
and it does have that fireworks, burst look!!! Good Growing!!

Thanks very much! I don't remember where I first saw a Scadoxus, but I thought it was pretty cool looking... so, I began to research the bulb, culture and all... I found mine on Ebay, believe it or not! I received it last fall/winter, and it had this incredibly thick basal plate, which I thought might be a problem. But, I potted it up, figuring that if it didn't do anything, I'd surgically remove a portion of the basal plate to try invigorating it.

It didn't do much, but it did remain alive... it was solid and green, with a good root system... and then recently, it began to grow! It just shot up this scape, and you can see how fabulous it is! I haven't ever seen them in stores... only in specialty catalogs online. I think that if you do a Google search, you may find someone who sells them. If you do find them, I recommend getting one! They're late summer bloomers, and I've cared for it exactly how I care for my Hippeastrum bulbs. I've got it potted in a very porous medium, and I let it dry out a bit in between waterings. I'm wondering how to pollinate it! What if I took a little paint brush and lightly swept it over the whole flower? Do you think some pollen would transfer to the right spot, and possibly produce seed pods? It's worth a try... wish me luck! I don't even know if they can be selfed, but what the heck... nothing ventured, nothing gained! :-)

Chaz, I thought for sure the Dendrobium keiki was a goner! Shortly after receiving it, both leaves dropped... I rather expected that, though... but the roots all dried out, and I couldn't seem to hydrate them. I found one little piece of root, about a 1/4 inch long, that was alive and well... I dusted a bit of rooting hormone powder on the root area, wrapped a few damp strands of sphagnum moss around it, potted it in bark, and crossed my fingers! I placed it in the east window, and misted it every day to keep some moisture and humidity going, and just 2 days ago noticed the tiny green growth starting! I'm so thrilled!!

I'm also babying a Coelogyne pbulb, trying to get new growth started... nothing yet, though. But, there's still hope... as long as the pbulb still has some life left in it!

If anyone can locate a Scadoxus, you must try one! They're really something up close and personal! If it had offsets, I'd offer some... but so far, it's a lone bulb.

Yeah, Scadoxus multiflorus is a lovely plant and having 5-6 in a large pot all blooming at once is lovely!! Do not mess with the basal plate.....this is the way they grow!!

If you like that one then you must get the ssp. Katherinae as it is way, way, way larger as a plant......much more impressive and much closer to evergreen!!!

These are on ebay all the time for $4-5 MAX so anyone can get one easily.

They are not self-fertile so you will not get seed.

You should also try Scadoxus puniceus as that one is even more spectacular in my opinion.....heavily spotted leaves where they emerge from the bulb and a beautiful paint-brush flower!!!

Normally, this would start to grow in early spring and then go dormant for the winter. Yours may have come from the southern hemisphere and it is confused seasonally.

Wonderful plant......keep up the good work :o) Dan

what a fantastic looking flower, am going to ask for one for fathers day if the wife and kids can find one.

Thanks for the information, Dan! I wasn't sure about that basal plate, but I have never seen one quite so thick! I can't remember exactly where my bulb came from, but it was a southern state, so I'm sure it was sort of confused! I do remember that the bulb was not expensive, at all.

I can only imagine what an entire pot full of Scadoxus in bloom would look like! Just this one reminds me of a red sparkler on the 4th of July!

It's too bad it won't accept its own pollen, but it was worth a shot. I was not aware that there are other varieties of this bulb... I'll definitely have to look into it!

This particular bulb is different looking than I'm used to... it's speckled and sort of a strange green color, and the shape is a little strange, too. I'm not even sure what the leaves look like yet... this is the first growth from it since I've had it.

So, Dan... if this is actually a spring bloomer, and it's blooming now because it's out of its element, so to speak, will it skip a year to get more in sync with its new environment?

I appreciate the information, Dan... and I'm glad I now know more about this little guy!

hi jodi i found a site that suggests these flowers do set seed

Here is a link that might be useful: growing scadoxus

Wow! Very interesting reading! Thanks for the link! I've bookmarked it, and if I happen to get seed, I'll have it for reference!

I brushed my hand over the entire flower a few times, to try spreading pollen around. Just maybe a speck or two landed in the right place! It never hurts to try, even if nothing happens!

Thanks again... very good reading!

Oh my...

Your Scadoxus is beautiful Jodi! We used to have them growing in our gardens in the Philippines. My grandmother loves to grow them. And we would just snap out those flowers and play with them when we were kids. Dan is so right about seeing a bunch of them in bloom...awesome! My grandmother planted them by our property adobe fence. It would be a line of "red powder puff balls" when they bloom.

Migrating here in US makes me appreciate now the local/native plants we had in the Philippines. Eucharis is another plant that I remember seeing blooming in our gardens since I was a young child.

Here is a pic of my pot this spring....not a great pic, but makes the point I guess!! There are 5 of them in bloom in this pot:
{{gwi:423505}}
No seed were produced despite being outside....I've never had any seed off this clone....maybe it is the clone I have or maybe they do need two separate clones....not sure now!! I got lots of seed from my Scadoxus puniceus this year which I have multiple clones of :o) Dan

They're so beautiful, Dan! I wasn't even aware that there was more than one variety, but now, I'll have to see if I can find more!

The information I read about Scadoxus only mentioned two varieties, I believe... the puniceus, and S. multiflorus ssp. katherinae. Perhaps only one of them can set seed, or perhaps it's a crossing of the two. If I understand correctly, some clones will set seed by selfing, and some will require crossing with another plant. Having multiple plants would be best, I'm sure... I guess I'll be shopping for another bulb soon!

Breeding aside, it's one of the most unusual flowers I've ever grown, and one of the most beautiful. To think that each little "spark" on the "sparkler" is a tiny bloom in itself... it's an amazing plant! Even the leaves are nice... different than what I'm used to, having mostly strap leaved bulb types!

Eucharis is one I don't have... yet! But my collection is still young, so who knows what will join the ranks! Since most bulbs in the amaryllid type family fascinate me, I'm always looking around for another beauty to add!

After resting for most of the summer, my Rhodophiala bifida is waking up and beginning to grow leaves... I wonder if it will flower this year?

Jodi, here's the Scadoxus plant with leaves. It's my plant in its full growth now.

{{gwi:423506}}

Xuan

Wow! Those are some big leaves! It reminds me of a corn stalk in green growth! I hope I have enough room for it indoors! I may have to move it to a different spot once it finishes blooming!

I will say, though, the flower has lasted for a nice amount of time... and it's just such a beauty! I may look for 2 more bulbs to add to the pot... a group would look lovely in bloom together!

Thanks for posting that, Xuan... I was wondering what the leaves would be like! Most photos of the plant only show the bloom.

And I gave in and got me some bulbs of this Scadoxus. Hey, it was just $3.99 for 3 bulbs plus S&H! In fact my mother was offering to bring some bulbs of this with her on her next visit here in US in 2009. I just can't risk an old woman being taken away by the FEDS in the airport because of bulbs in her baggage. This plant just brings back very fond memories of my childhood days.

Chaz...If the shipment of my ordered Scadoxus bulbs go through with no problems (it's coming from Thailand w/out phyto permit)I'll let you know of the seller's name. Or if you want to take a risk now, email me.

Xuan...It is such a lovely plant even without flowers isn't it? What size of pot is that Scadoxus in? I don't remember my grandmother or mom planting them in pots, just in the ground.

We call it football lilly. In my books it is HAEMANTHUS MULTIFLORUS. I plant them individualy in 5 inch pots for display and transfer to a larger planter as a group, to mature. I wish it was avaiable in other colours too.
ARIF

I have my bulb planted in a 5 or 6 inch clay pot, and I must say, the bulb shape is quite different... and the color is a light green with little speckles. A strange bulb, but a beautiful flower!

Since flowering, this thing has grown quite a large set of leaves, all atop a growing stem... very different! I can see that I will have to move it to a better location... it's getting a little bigger than I had thought!

I, too, wish it were available in different colors... wouldn't it look marvelous in a bright pink, or a deep purple? Even a white flower would look fantastic!

It's one of my favorite bulbs, regardless of the color... it was amazing to watch bud and bloom! I tried my hand at pollinating, but even though a few little florets tried to grow seed heads, the whole stalk eventually died, and I was forced to cut it off. I wonder if pollination would be easier with a second bulb?

I have never been able to get seeds but plunty of bulb lets which bloom the third year.

That's good to know, Arif... I suppose that once it becomes a little bit pot-bound, it will begin to grow bulblets or offsets, then.

I pull them out when the leaves start dying. That is when I notice bulb lets attached to the mother. After cleaning them I hang them in a net until spring.In March I plant the mature bulbs in 6 inch presentable pots and bring them inside when in bloom. After a week or so I transfer them to a large planter about two inches appart to fatten up. All bulblets are planted in largerpots about an inch appart.
They have a good root system and require a lot of space.
ARIF

My bulb is in full leaf right now... it's quite a bit larger than I thought it would be... when the leaves do die back, I'll lift it out of its pot to check the roots. I have it in an 8 inch clay pot, which it seems happy in, and the medium is very free-draining.

So far, the only problem I can see is that I may have a slight case of scale... there is some strange pitting on the newer leaves. I have sprayed with a good insecticide, so if it is scale, that should take care of it.

I hope to see some bulblets forming... I'll know more after the leaves begin to die back. I wonder if it will grow differently, since I have it indoors? In any case, I'll most likely re-pot it in spring, giving it a larger pot.

Thanks for the information, Arif!

Arif, These are often mistakenly called Haemanthus, but if you have ever grown Haemanthus you can see how completely different the bulbs are.....most Haemanthus bulbs are very similar and my 4 species of Scadoxus all have the same type of bulb.....no way you could mistake them :o) Dan

I agree, Dan... my Scadoxus bulb is one of the strangest shaped bulbs I've ever seen, not to mention the coloring and tiny spots all over it... but as strange as the actual bulb is, the bloom is spectacular, and well worth growing! I may have to pick up a few more to plant in one of my large clay patio pots for garden display! I think a bunch would look stellar!

Oh, good timing!
I had to get in here to check what this plant's real name was Heamanthus or Scadoxus? So Scadoxus it will be. I received my Scadoxus bulbs and just planted them today. They were small bulbs but clean and firm with roots. They do have speckles in the bulb and that thick basal plate that Jodi mentioned.

Here's a pic that I borrowed from that Thailand bulb seller. This is how my grandmother grew them in the Philippines.

{{gwi:405597}}

This is one of those bulbs that I had second thoughts about when it first arrived... but after learning a bit more about it, and seeing it bloom and grow... well, it's just a wonderful addition to my collection! I'm so glad I got it! In fact, I should have bought a few more at the time! I'm sure I'll see them elsewhere, and I'll be sure to grab a few for a larger group potting.

You'll just love them, Maria! I know you have memories of them from your youth, but nothing beats having them now... we're at the age where we can appreciate them more!

That thick basal plate threw me a little, but now I know it's just normal for this type of bulb.

I'm in a bit of a rush today, but I do want to post a new photo of the leaves on mine... and get some opinions about the pitting on the leaves... it almost looks like scale, but I can't find any actual bugs. I'll try to take photos later this evening, or tomorrow... I need some answers!