Scientific Name
Haemanthus albiflos Jacq.
Common Name(s)
Paint Brush, White Paint Brush, White Blood Lily, Shaving Brush Plant, Dappled Snowbrush
Synonym(s)
Haemanthus virescens var. albiflos, Leucodesmis albiflos
Scientific Classification
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Haemanthus
Etymology
The specific epithet "albiflos (AL-bih-flos)" means "white flower" and refers to the white flowers of this species since, as the generic name implies, most in the genus are red.
Origin
Haemanthus albiflos is native to South Africa. It is widespread along the eastern coastal belt from Still Bay in the Western Cape to the Zululand region of KwaZulu-Natal in the north, extending inland as far as Graaff-Reinet and Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.
Description
Haemanthus albiflos is an evergreen bulbous plant with up to three pairs of leaves that can be erect, recurved, or flat on the ground, with the two most recent appearing before the inflorescence. The bulb is ovoid and grows solitary or in clumps, reaching up to 3.2 inches (8 cm) in diameter. The leaves are tongue-shaped, flat or channeled, usually with cilate margins, and can measure up to 20 inches (50 cm) long and 4.6 inches (11.5 cm) wide. They are light green, sometimes with white spots.
In late fall and winter, Haemanthus albiflos produces a compact umbel on top of erect or reflexed stalk that can grow up to 14 inches (35 cm) long and 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) in diameter. The umbel can reach up to 2.8 inches (7 cm) in diameter and comprises 25 to 50 small white flowers with extended white stamens holding yellow anthers. The fruits are ovoid, pulpy berries, about 0.4 inches (1 cm) in diameter, and range in color from white to orange or red.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 45 °F (+7.2 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Haemanthus albiflos is ideal for a shady rock garden or for difficult parts of the garden receiving poor light, where it can multiply for many years.
Once established, it requires a dappled shade position and likes to remain undisturbed for many years. The soil must be well aerated. A suggested medium is equal parts of well-rotted compost, coarse river sand, and loam. Plant the greenish bulbs with the upper half exposed and the thick fleshy roots spread horizontally over the soil.
It also makes an excellent subject for plastic or terracotta containers, and these need not be deep as the roots naturally spread out horizontally. Pots of Haemanthus albiflos can be grown very successfully on a shady veranda. This plant is also suitable as an indoor plant, where it should be placed in a position that receives dappled light but not direct sunlight. This plant likes to become pot-bound, and mature bulbs flower reliably yearly and only need to be divided every 7 or 8 years when flowering performance diminishes. However, Haemanthus albiflos is not hardy and has to be grown under the protection of a cool greenhouse in countries with very cold winter conditions.
Haemanthus albiflos can be propagated by seed and separating offsets from thick clumps. Seeds are sown once the ripe berries have become soft and turned orange or red from the end of winter to early summer. Offset bulbs are best separated from thick clumps in early spring as temperatures rise, ensuring each offset has a good supply of roots.
Haemanthus albiflos is not often attacked by pests or diseases, but the leaves are sometimes invaded by the Dreaded Lily Borer, also known as the Amaryllis Caterpillar.
Links
- Back to genus Haemanthus
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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