Description
A superb species, this is the only yellow Hymenocallis. It is a limited endemic found only in small areas of specific habitats around Lima in Peru. As its habitats have been built over by the expansion of the city, so this has become a rare plant now known only from a scattering of localities and it is hanging on there by little more than a thread. The once famous “Pampa de Amancaes” in Lima is now all houses and no Hymenocallis.
H. amancaes makes comparatively small bulbs, bearing deep, daffodil-yellow, fragrant flowers. There is nothing else like it in the genus.
Barely in cultivation, this is not difficult, but it is not for beginners either. Like all Hymenocallis, it absolutely isn’t hardy in the UK and it must be frost-free, however it likes to be cool. Aim for a minimum winter temperature of 14°C. It may not appear to do much in winter, but the roots are active ALL of the year, so it shouldn’t ever be totally dry.
Don’t give heat too early, it needs to be frost-free but this species is are ONLY supposed to be in leaf from late May to mid-September, when the leaves die back. The rest of the year the species is leaf-dormant and is perfectly happy sitting in dry compost. Don’t force it, don’t try and start it too early (and don’t leave it in a dry bag on a windowsill either)! From the mid-June you should give the bulbs a bit more water, then a lot once growth is established. This period is when good drainage is vital, as the plants need lots of water but they don’t like wet soil around the bulbs either. We also take the opportunity to feed the bulbs at every watering.
Needs a deep pot as the bulb burrows. Compost should be very gravelly, well-drained and highly fertile. Feed well when in growth.
