SCADOXUS MULTIFLORUS

“SCADOXUS MULTIFLORUS” FIREBALL LILY

• CATEGORY                             “SCADOXUS MULTIFLORUS”
• VARIETY                                    FIREBALL LILY
• DESCRIPTION                          BRILLIANT RED STARRY FLOWERS
• HEIGHT                                     50 CM
• BLOOMS                                   LATE SUMMER
• SIZE                                          GRADE 1 DORMANT BULB
• QUANTITY PER UNIT                    1, 3

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Please Make Sure When Buying These Bulbs That You Don’t Buy Too Small A Bulb Or They Won’t Flower, They Will Only Throw Green Leaves And Take A Few Years To Flower These Bulbs Are A Very Good Flowerung Size Bulb.

One Of The Most Beautiful, Cultivated Ornamental Bulbs, This South African Native Can Be Found In All But The Driest Regions Of Africa. They Have A Wide Disrtribution From Lowland To Mountain Forest, Forest Margins Or Open Grassland And Are Very Common In The Shade Of Trees Along River Banks.

“Scadoxus Multiflorus” Has Received The Royal Horticultural Society’s Award Of Garden Merit (Agm) Which Is For Plants Of Outstanding Excellence.

“Scadoxus” Used To Be Included In The Genus “Haemanthus” But Is Now Regarded As Distinct And Separate. Some Common Names For These Bulbs Include Blood Lily, African Blood Lily, Torch Lily Paintbrush Lily, Football Lily, Powderpuff Lily, Poisin Root And Fireball Lily.

These Very Unique And Rare Bulbs Were Named By Rafinesque, Who Commented “Umb Glor” Which Could Be Taken To Mean Glorious Umbrel. Its Former Name, Haemanthus Translates To Blood Flower, From Haima (Blood) And Anthis (Flower) Referring To The Colour Of The Spathe And Filaments.

The Spectacular Flowerhead Is An Allium-Like Huge Spherical Umbrel Consisting Of Up To 200 Brilliant Red Starry Flowers, With A Lacy Appearance That Are Held Clear Of The Foliage At The End Of A Solitary Stem. Each Plant Will Only Produce One Of These 7-8 Inch Diameter Flowerhead In A Season.

Individual Flowers Are A Pinkish-Orange-Red Colour With Protruding Stamens Carrying Bright Yellow Anthers. The Flowerheads Last For 1 Or 2 Weeks And Make Superb Cut Flowers.

The Seed Develops In The Inferior Ovary Which Is Visible As A Swelling Of The Flower Stalk Below The Flower, At The Tip Of The Pedicel (Stalk Of Individual Flower) These Will Swell To Form A Green Berry That Will Turn Scarlet As It Ripens. These Decorative Berrries Can Remain On The Plant For Up To 2 Months.

The Spear-Shaped Semi-Erect Dark Green Leaves Form A Basal Rosette After Flowering That Encircles The Pseudostem (False Stem) Giving The Plant An Overall Symmetric Shape. Leaves Are Large And Thin-Textured With A Distinct Midrib And An Undulating Margin.

This Is A Very Useful Plant For Shady Gardens, A Handsome Pot Subject For A Large Container On A Shady Deck Or Patio And As An Indoor Plant. It Looks Particularly Effective In Large Groups Under Trees, Where They Do Not Seem To Mind Competition From Tree Roots Providing The Soil Is Good.

Scadoxus Rootstocks Are Planted Just Below The Ground And The Soil Must Be Well-Drained, Rich And Light With Plenty Of Leaf-Mould Or Well-Rotted Compost. The Plants Benefit Greatly From Regular Liquid Feeding. Water Sparingly During The Dormant Season And Well During The Growing Season.

The Seeds Can Be Left On The Plant Until They Start To Look A Bit Wrinkled And Should Be Sown As Soon As They Are Ripe. Gently Rub Or Peel The Pulp Off. Using A Light Well-Drained Potting Mix, Gently Press The Seed Into The Soil. Do Not Cover It But Leave The Tops Just Visible Or Level With The Soil Surface. Keep Damp But Not Waterlogged Flowers Can Be Expected After The Third Deason.

When Frost Threatens In The Late Autumn, Dig Up The Bulbs If They Are In The Ground Carefully Leaving Soil Around The Roots And Put Them In A Well-Ventilated Shady Place On Their Sides Until The Leaves Wither. Cut Off The Leaves And Store The Bulbs Upside Down Over Winter In Dry Peat. It Needs To Be Dry When Dormant. When There Is No More Frost In The Spring They Can Be Replanted