Josh, I love it!! The veining and lines are exquisite..see you gave some nice pollen also, have fun..the color is coming across as an orangy brick very nice I like the color too..

Donna

joshy.....

Very interesting information .... can you post some photos of the plant growing as an epiphyte? How is it normally grown in cultivation? Is it treated like an orchid, i.e. mounted with roots exposed to rain, sun, breezes, etc? How big is this plant?

Thanks,

Frank

There are many different ways to successfully cultivate Hippeastrum bulbs... if you make it a point to research the natural habitats of the various species, the history behind the discovery and cultivation of this bulb type, and you learn the basic science and physics of container growing and what purposes a medium serves and the basic needs of plants in general, it becomes clear that there are several situations in which these bulbs will thrive.

It helps to take into consideration your individual climate and the environment you have to offer, the amount of time and effort you can dedicate to growing, the types of amaryllids you want to grow... some growers opt for semi-hydroponics, or mounting, or a more common approach to containerized growing.

Many plant types are very forgiving of the artificial habitats we try to force them into, and will adapt as best they can to our culture methods. It would be easier if the gardening industry offered a better variety of supplies based more on plant health than on short term profit... but industry is what it is.

When researching, it helps quite a bit to pore over as many information sources as possible, to get a feel for the range of different information you'll find. Often, the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and taking most of what you learn with a large grain of salt and some common sense is very helpful.

I would urge bulb growers to do some reading in other forums, mainly the Container Growing Forum, which offers a lot of great information on successful growing within confines spaces.

Jodi is correct, with the proper care you could most possibly grow them whichever way you'd like! Of course there are some limitations according to the plants requirements, you can't expect to grow Hippeastrum aulicum in a days worth of sun like many hybrids, it tends to sulk and will eventually perish. I've not found a clone that handles light very well but it's possible there is one out there.

H. aulicum is a winter growing species which remains evergreen but halts growing from Mid June - September or so. It holds a large amount of leaves and is quite vigorous, my clone above usually has about 12-14 leaves at a time. I grow it in almost pure orchid bark with a very small amount of humus for structure in a clay pot. It isn't a heavy feeder I've noticed but it does benefit from feeding periodically.

H. aulicum grows amongst the trees and rocks in the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, I think it could possibly be grown as a lithophyte as well. The roots are incredibly thick and fiborous and they contain the elements needed to cling well to a cork or wood board.

If you can Frank, try and obtain this species and give it a go, if you can grow orchids well this plant would thrive for you! It's similar to growing Pamianthe peruviana which is also in Amaryllidaceae, it's an amazing epiphytic species from Ecuador, check it out, it's beautiful!

Josh

Lovely plant Josh and well grown obviously :o) Dan

Thanks Dan ;) Your comment means a lot!

I selfed it in hopes of seed if anyone is interested?

Josh

Well, if I neglected to say it before, it is definitely a lovely plant with a gorgeous flower! The green eye is especially appealing to me... I have a thing for green flowers and green eyes in flowers!

The red is a special red, too... very deep and saturated... and the shape is lovely. It's a flower that begs to be touched, to gently feel the petals.

Very good photography... and good growing!

Josh, you know I'm interested in seeds........

Wow - that is so pretty! Really neat that it blooms in fall too. I would love some seeds if you have some to share.

I'm in FL and am starting many seedlings so that in a few years I can have a whole bed full of blooms. I'd be interested in trying to mount one of these as an epiphyte on the trunk of a palm tree in my screen room too. Drop me an email if your plant sets seed and I'll see if I've got anything you'd like to trade for.

Josh, that is a wonderful photo of a beautiful plant. You really captured it. Do you have more than one clone? Just curious.

I'm excited because my aulicum is currently sending up two bloom stalks. This will be the first time it's bloomed for me.

I grow mine in about a 50/50 mix of potting soil and leca pellets. I'm thinking of transferring it to a gritty, soilless mix after it blooms.

I tried growing an offset in an orchid pot in sphagnum moss. I'm a chronic under-waterer, so that experiment didn't work well inside during winter, when the air is very dry. The offset didn't die; it just didn't produce any new roots. It kept falling over/out of the moss. (It's fine now that I've put it back into the pot with the mother bulb.)

Amanda

Hi Josh,

Just curious...do you happen to have any H. aulicum seeds available for trade or postage? I'd love to grow this beauty!

Thanks.

Jen