Dan, are you getting them from the few going on the trip here soon? I'm assuming so as that's the only way you'd probably get them.

Dan please let us know anymore details as you find out more I definitely am interested in a number of the bulbs you listed.

AJ

Josh, I have no clue about people going to Peru so must be different. I would rather they did not come from collectors ripping them out of the ground to be honest! This stems from my interest in Dracontium, which is a genus of aroids related to Amorphophalus which most people have heard of. A nice example of convergent evolution if you believe in that sort of stuff :o)

AJ, I asked for 3-5 bulbs of each species. I have no clue what the prices are. If they are not too silly I can ask if there are more available, but it is the Dracontium I have been working 2 years to get :o) Dan

Honestly, I can guarantee you there from a trip a few of my friends are going on. No one else has these species and few really care to have them lol. They do wild collect them as they're not in cultivation.

I have all these species which were collected in Peru and there are only a few people that grow them, these plants other than that are not in cultivation.

I could imagine you'll be charged betweent 150-200 a bulb as these people spend thousands to travel down there, another person AJ and I got H. bukasovii from was charging well over 200 bucks for an offset for buka and macbridei.

On top of that they only collect a few bulbs a person so I'm not too sure how many they'll have to bring back and luckily they're collecting for me as well since I had a major surgery and had to miss out :(

Next year tho I'll be in Peru as well as Bolivia and plan to bring back plants you guys have probably never seen!

Josh, The one thing I can guarantee is they are not being collected by the people you know.....no chance at all.

I will not pay $200 for these guys....I'll pay $200 for a huge Dracontium, but not for a Hippi.....If they supply me with some I will let you know assuming I get them to bloom for me. Heck, if I can get that much money for them and I get them at a better price I'll just sell them and take a vacation :o)

What are you using as your potting media for these? I was goinng to use a mix with no soil for these guys if I get them....something like 1:1:1 volcanic cinder, perlite and bark (a common mix I use for lots of stuff).

I'll let you know what I hear :o) Dan

Hippeastra can be propagated easily, from seeds. IF the project of raising seedlings is being accurately performed, as I previously detailed.
In the procedure, the size and particularly the height of the container plays a crucial role, as well as the regimen of admintering water and fertilizer. It sounds more complicated than it actually is, in fact it is very simple and although it requires some regular observation the actual WORK is little.
I have only contempt left, for those people that intend to make quick cash out of imported bulbs, and I shall never support that.

I'm considering a trip next year to Machu Pichu. Is it feasable to collect seed or specimens from a nursery there? That is, ethically.. species of unusual form or coloration.

The problem is getting the export permits from the country of origin to get them back in legally. A lot of these things come in because someone bought the proper paperwork. Anyone being legit will tell you it is very tough to get the proper paperwork as most countries in South America (not all) do not allow export of their natural resources anymore. The first time I got some bulbs from Karel Knize it took him nearly 9 months to get the proper export permits and then most of the bulbs were not true to name anyway! Best of luck :o) Dan

congratulations!Yes, some rare hippeastrum bulbs are expensive on Internet. One Hippeastrum starkiorum on ebay these days is $250. It's a bad news for hobby Hip-collecter like me in third-world.:(...$250, OMG, I cann't image that.

Dan, the trip leader of the people I know has a nursery in Peru, this is how they get the export permits. I'm pretty sure you're talking about the same group of people.

I have one friend going, they're going on two trips in July and August, they're hoping to find the extinct H. traubii *which we don't think will yield any results* and a few of the others.

Who knows, maybe it is the same nursery then! I have a pic of the persons H. traubii sitting in a nursery pot so assuming it is correct it is neither extinct nor impossible to find!!

I just can not fathom spending that much on a Hippi....I've spent that much on other plants I want, but just not that particular genus......I'm hoping for more like $20 :o) Dan

Dan, it is extinct in nature, there may be one colony but no one knows the location INCLUDING the nursery, I've given them most of the locality information for traubii as well as a few other friends of mine. They're hoping they can find them this year in July. They're not impossible to find in cultivation but they come with a hefty price tag, 200 or so.

I can tell ya, it wont be 20 bucks, the value of these plants are MUCH higher, in the several hundreds for wild collected plants.

If you don't pay it someone else will.

Who knows on the collected front....this person says it was originally a collected specimen......since I am not really in the loop and just hope to get my Dracontium (these are grown commercially there for the herb market and yet are almost impossible to find in cultivation here in the US) I am not really asking any questions about the Hippis.....if someone wants to pay $200 they can have them :o) Dan

@Hans

There are only a handful of people that go on these collecting trips and only one or two out of the bunch are actually their for Hippeastrum. The others collect a few Hippeastrum mostly for their collections of plants and I'm sure there is always that ONE person who collects just for money. Most of them that go *myself included* ONLY go for personal collections.

In all reality I think it's important for these plants to be propagated.

@Dan,

Honestly, in the Hippie world there are only a small group of us that are avid collectors, out of that group there are even SMALLER amounts of people that go to collect, you can count them on one hand.

In the Hippie world we know who has what, how long they've had it, if it's true, where it was collected, from what collection it came from *etc*, a lot of us have lists we send to each other. This is why I know exactly who and what you're talking about as the Hippie world is so incredibly small that we all know each other. Here in the US there are only 5 or even less that are insane enthusiasts such as myself, it's a pretty small system.

200 dollars may seem like a lot of money for a plant but when you look at the absolute rarity of the MAJORITY of species it fits. There are Bolivian species of Hippeastrum that you guys would be dumbfounded if you saw and up until now are not in cultivation at all.

I can tell you this, Len Doran scouted S. America for Hipps, there is one clone of H. traubii that is circulating from that collection that most people own. There is another clone which myself and a friend haven't put a name too YET that was collected many years ago and was later destroyed for development, this may POSSIBLY be H. traubii var. babyana. There is also another form, H. traubii var. traubii that was described, there is no other information available for it.

I'm almost certain I know who you're speaking of that has a nursery in Peru, he's a nice guy and I know he collects as well with my friends, he basically sorts the trips out! Anywho, they're working on finding traubii this July, actually, they leave tomorrow. Sadly the have very small amounts of leads and it's the wrong time of the year to find them blooming.

As for H. leopoldii and H. leonardii, they have yet to be rediscovered, they've found H. neoleopoldii in several localities. H. leopoldii may actually be synonymous for H. bukasovii, sadly the only material we have are plates to further the investigation...

The Peruvian Hippeastrum are incredibly variable, H. reginae may be common yes, but the form they may find may not. The H. puniceum in some parts of Peru and Bolivia are strikingly different, they have lime green throats where was the rest of the populations don't!

My germplasm is mostly wild collected plants and I can promise you they aren't easy to grow! They haven't been tamed and aren't easy BUT they're SO worth it if you're willing to give them a little extra love. ...

Hi Josh, Thanks for the info. The only thing I would say is that I do not believe $200 is too much for a plant....I have spent more than that I can assure you, but it is all about what you really want to spend that sort of money on....for me, Hippis are not it, but I very much appreciate that others such as yourself are willing to spend that sort of money and keep them in cultivation! I just hope that you do not ruin the DNA you are in charge of by hybridizing them. If I actually get these for a price I am willing to pay I will be in contact with you for some advice on growing them as well as a couple of others that I know that grow some of these sorts of plants so I have my best chance. What I really wish is that she had found some Paramongaia as I would love another couple of clones of that wonderful plant :o) Dan

Dan,

For sure, if you get a hold of some WHICH I really hope you do, let me know and I'll try to send you as much information as I can!

I'm currently working on a book about Peruvian and Bolivia Hippeastrum and their variations in these countries, there isn't hardly enough work being done with the genus as there aren't enough people willing to work with them.

I know you're more than willing to spend 200 bucks for a plant ;) I do agree it's very expensive and I hope you can work out a deal to get them much cheaper, I just hope this person isn't digging up whole colonies to sell them as there isn't enough wild to distribute.

Currently I'm working on identifying a few species collected in Peru that could be the incredibly elusive H. fuscum, what a treasure that would be! It's a red flower similar to H. pardinum with possibly black speckles!

I'm not worried about hybrids ruining anything, I have a few and they take up hardly any room and I don't plan to cross a million things. As long as you're decently organized and know your plants the chance of messing anything up are slim.

Dear Dan,

I have been MIA working too hard. This is my first visit to the forum in far more than a month.

If you manage to obtain any extras and you wish to sell them, please let me know. Like Josh, I have an extensive collection of Hippeastrum species and of course I would like more.

Cheers,

Blanca

Blanca :)

Long time no talk!!!!!!

If you get the chance, please e-mail me!

I changed my e-mail due to virus :(

JoshuaY46016@yahoo.com

Hello Dan! My girlfriend is from Peru and i plan a bit, to fly to Peru next spring. Last time have been only in Lima and there nobody knows hippeastrum. I did ask in several flower- markets.
Best regards and good luck!

I would like to also be able to get more individual clones of some hippeastrum species if ever. I have some H. species and more hybrids. More hybrids because when they do flower, I dislike selfing them and prefer to expand their gene pool or just cross them with other species.
Here it is difficult to obtain seeds and even harder for plants-bulbs.

Thank you

Dan,

I was correct, this group was who I thought. They had a very rough time this trip.

Have you heard anything about getting any?

Josh

Hi Dan

Did you get everything you desired?

Dan, do you still propagate Hippeastrum bukasovii? If so, I would like to purchase as the ones I brought back from Peru with Lee, were eaten by some grubs. Rico

Hi Rico, No, I honestly got rid of all but 2 pots of Hippis and I'm not even sure what one of them is because they haven't bloomed in 14 years or so - clearly, I am doing something wrong! Dan

Fishrico can You tell me roundabout, where You did find them?

Best regards

fishing_dentist I wish I could. We flew from Miami to Lima, then flew to Cusco, then boarded a bus and traveled many hours SE? If I can find a detailed map of Peru, I will try to give you at best a general location.

I think, they grow on the eastern Andean slope down to the Amazonas area