I just planted some s. multiflorus this past summer, they were about the same height as yours. Just curious - do they overwinter in your NJ garden? I planted some in pots, but also two bulbs in my south facing rock garden as an experiment, with an inch or two of mulch.

They won't overwinter outdoors here in Zone 6 - they just rot over the winter. I think it is way too cold for them here, and too wet.

I've been growing mine in deep 10" pots. The bulbs are only about 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and they do flower every year, and the bulbs get a little bigger each year, too. When I grew them in smaller pots, the bulbs got smaller every year, and eventually stopped flowering. I bring in the plant before it goes dormant, and keep it green as long as possible (mine are just going dormant now). I'll start them up again in March after I replace some of the soil by giving them some bottom heat, and they usually flower within a month or so.

In the past, I've had these bulbs produce offsets, so I must be doing something right. I know that they develop a very thick basal plate that the roots grow from, and that the bulb is somewhat sensitive to being wet and cold during its dormancy, and that it is a good idea to keep some of the roots alive while the plant is dormant, but that's about all I have figured out.

I also know I've seen a much bigger type than the one I grow, and I have no idea where to get it.

Joe 'still searching' DeRosa

Joe, you're looking for Scadoxus multiflorus ssp. Katherinae.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scadoxus