"Crikey, what are those things?" asked the tradie working around the back of our house. He was pointing towards the quartet of dazzling orange scadoxus in bloom at the rear of our yard. With the low afternoon sun catching their vivid tops, for an hour or so every day it looks they are torches on fire. These flowering bulbs have several common names, including Natal Paintbrush, which tells you where they're from, and Scadoxus puniceus will help you find it in a reference book or online catalogue. Every year I do a blog posting about them, and that's what I am doing again.
Then when they do unfurl they'll last another two to three weeks in this condition, depending on the weather. |
They've bloomed much earlier this year, thanks to the mild warm winter we have enjoyed. Usually September is their time. |
The countless hundreds of little pollen tops help to explain why the blooms look so afire when the low sun hits them. |
Pollen falls constantly from the blooms, dusting the deep red leaves. |
Well, by happy coincidence it's the same story with these scadoxus; they were a gift from another gardening writer who I worked with, the lovely Geoffrey Burnie, who is now editing Your Garden magazine. Thanks once more, Geoffrey, your scadoxus bulbs are loving life here in the mostly shady (but not always shady), sheltered spot you suggested I plant them.
They really are amazing. I love the fact that I see them each year. It is a wonderful reminder of the changing of the season.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular, what a wonderful addition to your garden, plus a lovely reminder of a gardening friend.
ReplyDeleteI purchased one of these last September.It grows on a pot. It is now growing beautiful, healthy leaves, but no flowers. I was expecting the flowers before the leaves.Does it flower every year? Does it have to be a certain age to flower?
ReplyDeleteJanine
ReplyDeleteI'm no scadoxus expert, but I do know there are other species which flower at other times of year. The most common species. Scadoxus multiflorus, flowers in late summer, so perhaps that is what you have.
I also know from experience that one of the bulbs given to me by Geoffrey only flowered after three years in the ground, so you might have to wait for the bulb to fully develop.
Here's a link to a listing of scadoxus species from the Pacific Bulb Society:
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Scadoxus