Urceolina microcrater from Peru

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This is a close look at the rare Urceolina microcrater, a stunning bulb from the Andes in Peru. This striking Amaryllis relative sends up a tall stem with dangling blooms that are brilliant yellow and tipped with green. I find it to be easy to grow when given the right conditions. It is seldom seen in cultivation and very hard to find.

It makes a bulb about 2 inches across, and attractive, paddle-shaped leaves about a foot long. It has a close resemblance to my Eucrosia mirabilis, which is its cousin. The bulb goes dormant for a few months each year, and then the flower stalk shoots upward from the ground before the new leaves appear. The flower stem gets about 15 inches tall, and has about 6 to 8 blooms that dangle like yellow earrings, each about 2 inches long. I believe they are pollinated by birds in the wild. You can create great new hybrids by cross-breeding it with related plants like Eucharis and Caliphruria, which have now been moved to the Urceolina genus.

It grows well in warm to intermediate conditions, and does fine as a houseplant. I don't think it will be happy below 50°F (10°C). It enjoys bright light, although it might need some shade from strong sun. You can grow it in a 4 or 5 inch pot. It comes from rocky hills, so give it a fast-draining soil mix. A typical mix is 1 part potting soil to 3 parts pumice rock or perlite. Keep the soil evenly moist most of the time while it's actively growing, and reduce watering when it nears dormancy and the leaves yellow. While it's dormant, keep the soil no more than slightly moist. Avoid repotting it when it nears maturity or it may delay flowering. In the right conditions, it's an easy, low-maintenance bulb.

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