Description
This was very much a one-off offering some years ago, raised from one batch of seed. We sold out and we no longer have any material of this species. The original source has subsequently died and we have no access to further material. The entry is left here for reference only. There is no waitlist available for this species.
A phenomenally rare species, named in 1998 from a 1972 discovery. Known only from one population on quartzite screes in Namaqualand, a cool, dry, montane habitat very different to the moist areas where Amaryllis belladonna occurs.
It is Autumn-flowering bearing 10-20 large, uniformly pink-purple flowers, with a sweet perfume. Its distinctive leaves, which are totally different from belladonna, emerge later. They are broad, hairy on both sides and sit in a rosette flat on the ground.
Readily grown in a mix of 3 parts river sand and 1 part compost (by volume). Shy to flower, this is induced by rains, after bush fires. In cultivation a single heavy drench at the end of August triggers flower bud development. Then don’t water again until October.
Flowering-sized, but you need to be patient. They have taken many years of work to raise and our stock is tiny. The price is horrendous, but these are legitimate seed-raised (Our seed was from the type locality, gathered legitimately by a botanic garden) authentic, cultivated bulbs. I doubt there are any others available anywhere in the world (and by the way, the original locality is no longer accessible, the road has apparently been closed off).