Oleg, I have maybe three bulbs of H. psittacinum and they're pretty slow growing and they're very susceptible to rot and bug attacks, I've not had the easiest time with them but I have started to care for them more and have had an easier time! I think partially the reason H. papilio and H. cybister are so common in cultivation now is considering Fred Meyers, he crossed the best clones of each species to create a more tough and tumble plant. As well, these two species are among the easier to grow along with H. striatum, H. aulicum and H. puniceum which are also fairly common. Many Hippeastrum species I don't think could withstand cultivation in the casual growers hand UNLESS you live in an area with favorable conditions. You must study many of the species individually to know exactly what conditions are best considering they're found in a multitude of places including swamps AND deserts. I know many seasoned growers of Hippeastrum still have a very tough time with many species and many flower very seldom if at all. H. papilio is from a mild forest which is easily imitated by indoor conditions, it can be grown epiphytically, lithophytically or the usual pot of soil so it can handle a large range mediums. It grows in brightly lit places to shady areas so lighting usually isn't much of an issue. H. papilio can be maintained as an evergreen plant which gives a huge advantage against rotting too and it's resistant to many pests and diseases where as most other species are not! If you were to try growing Hippeastrum pardinum with the same idea of H. papilio you would more than likely fail, it needs a incredibly dry rest period during opposing months; any water during the dormancy will result in rotting and quite quickly! It doesn't always flower well *some sources only see flowers every ten years or so* and is usually a winter growing species, it relies on a lower amount of sunlight and ultimately much less water, put this in the hands of a typical "amaryllis" grower and they're set up for failure! This isn't to say that it's impossible to grow many of these species successfully because it isn't but you must educate yourself. While the hybrids and some species (h. papilio) are very forgiving, most others are not. I think it would be spectacular to see these grown in larger quantities but sadly I don't foresee that as most aren't willing to invest the time and energy they take. :( It's also a big misconception that ALL Hippeastrum need light water in fear of rotting, H. breviflorum, H. harrisonii, some forms of H. vittatum and H. angustifolium can be found in bogs, swamps and other wet areas, many are completely submerged throughout their growing seasons and only slightly dryer during dormancy, these species could create a more resistant plant in future breeding as well, I think these are quite beneficial as parents to new hybrids but their ease of growing is nil to none. Josh

I bought a plant from Annie also. Still has not bloomed. I am hoping for Z8b hardiness but I am not going to test it until it blooms and I have some successful germination. The information is very indistinct and inconclusive. I hope it is not too difficult to germinate.

It's quite easy. Boil water, pour water in a mug or cup, and place seeds in very hot water, and allow seeds to soak overnight. Seeds will germinated close to 100% within a week when sown in potting mix. This method works with almost any pea family member including Cercis, Baptisia, Thermopsis, Indigofera, etc.

Ok, folks, here's an update. I was first post on here on April 2, so I thought I would post an update now that I have some fair photos of my seeds' progress. I have seed from two plants, and all but two of them have sprouted. The two laggards are still in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel in a warm place, but nothing yet. All the others (except one) are happily sending up leaves. The one seed that is not showing a leaf is still looking good, but just has not shown a leaf yet. The first photo is seeds from my largest plant. This plant has given me three baby plants so far, an has three more that will be ready to take off later this summer. It has bloomed twice a year for two years in a row now. The second photo is seeds from the other plant that has yet to produce a baby plant, but produces blooms regularly. shihtzu4su, this is what your seeds should look like in about another month. The flowers below are one of the two plants. You can't tell them apart by the flowers, so I am sure all my seedlings are probably going to look like the parents. I am seriously considering purchasing a plant with different blooms to try my hand at breeding them. These won't be as fast as Daylilies, but no where near as slow as orchids....... Bill