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Brunsvigia grandiflora

Welcome to the spectacular Brunsvigia grandiflora - the "Candelabra Lily"!  This rare relative of Crinum and Hippeastrum comes from South Africa, where it is dwindling in numbers.  Its large bulb sends up a huge flower cluster 16 to 20 inches across that's like a pink fireworks show!  Even without blooms it's a very attractive plant, with its thick, wavy-margined leaves that often spiral.

Brunsvigia grandiflora

Brunsvigia grandiflora forms a large bulb up to 8 inches across.  It goes dormant each summer, and then grows from autumn through early spring.  Mature plants have about 10 to 15 upright, bluish-green leaves with undulating edges.  The leaves usually emerge around the same time as the flower stalk.  The impressive stalk makes its appearance in November/December here in California.  It can get up to 30 inches tall and have over 50 flowers.  Each pink bloom is about 1½ inches across, and has a dark pink stripe down the center of each petal.  The plant can reach blooming size at about 7-8 years old.  You might be able to cross-breed it with Amaryllis belladonna and related species.

Brunsvigia grandiflora

The plant comes from eastern South Africa, where temperatures are usually spring-like all year.  It therefore does best between 40 degrees F. and the low-80s (5-28 degrees C) during the growing season of autumn & winter.  The leaves can probably tolerate a light frost, but it will grow best when protected from freezing temperatures.  It should be given regular water during the growing season, and kept relatively dry during the summer dormancy.  It grows well in a pot in a fast-draining soil mix.  A typical mix is 2 parts coarse sand, 1 part compost, and 1 part pumice rock or fine gravel.  The bulb may either be grown half-exposed, or with the neck at the soil surface.  Mostly-sunny conditions are best.  In the right conditions, it is an easy and long-lived bulb.

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Tips on planting the bulb

 

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Turquoise Puya

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