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Xeronema callistemon

Poor Knights Lily

There's not much information out there on growing Xeronema. The tips below are a mixture of my personal experience with it, and what i've heard and read from others who have grown it.

Climate -- Xeronema is happiest between 40 and 75° F (5-23°C), with cool nights.  I know of one person in Puerto Rico whose plant did well at 85-90° F and warm nights, but i don't know if Xeronema is always happy in those conditions.  The plant can probably take a few hours at 28-30° F (-2°C) and maybe lower, but i recommend protecting the plant from all frost.

Since it is a maritime plant, it probably doesn't like very dry air. Indoors, you can use a room humidifier if the air gets below about 40% humidity.

Soil & watering -- They seem to do best in a fast-draining substrate, with regular, light watering. On the islands, they grow in cracks in the rocks, and are bathed by regular, light rainfall every couple of days (more in winter, less in summer). The problem with growing in rocks is the chance of it drying out if you forget to water, or go on vacation. Some say that Xeronema is drought-tolerant, however that's not been my experience. They can wilt and burn if the soil dries out, and this can stress the plant. So my recommended soil mix is 1 part high-quality potting soil to 1 part pumice rock (or perlite, medium gravel, etc), and 1 part sand.  If you are in a warm climate, avoid using a dark colored pot, which can heat up the roots.  

As far as watering, i water lightly every couple of days.  Larger plants obviously will need more water than smaller ones.  I'll use a moisture meter to make sure i'm not over- or under-watering. You can buy this at most garden and hardware shops for about $5. You simply stick the probe in the soil and read the dial. 

Some recommend giving the plant seawater a couple of times a year, but i haven't felt comfortable trying this. On the islands, they probably are sprayed with sea mist, although personally i would dilute any seawater you give them. I do recommend mixing some kelp powder into your soil, which you can buy at garden shops. Or you can water occasionally with Maxi-Crop, which is a seaweed extract that has a lot of goodness from the sea, without all the salt.

Xeronema grows slowly so it doesn't need that much fertilizer. Feed moderately each month with an all-purpose fertilizer.  On the islands, they're probably fed with bird droppings, which are high in nitrogen and phosphorous.  You can simulate this with bird guano, which many garden shops sell. 

Container size -- Give it adequate root space for the first few years, so it can grow nice and large.  After a few years, keep it in a fairly small pot, because it will flower best if the roots are a bit cramped. 

Transplanting -- Always repot very gently, to avoid disturbing the roots.  Give the plant a watering before transplanting, to hold the soil ball together.  After repotting, reduce the sun exposure for several weeks.  If the root-ball falls apart, i recommend reducing the sunlight even longer, and reduce the water accordingly. 

If your plant has an offshoot with its own root system, you may separate it.  Keep in mind that dividing the plant may delay flowering by a year or more.

Sunlight -- They seem to do best with mostly sunny conditions, with some tree-filtered sun during the warmest part of the day. Along the cool Pacific coast they can handle more sun, but they will need more frequent watering and fertilizing to look the best.  They grow quite well with half-shade, if that's what you must give them. 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. 

Happy gardening!

Jeff

Strange Wonderful Things

 

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