So, I moved to California this summer and saw TONS of these sad "dying" plants all around where I live. Shortly after the leaves died, large flowers shot up out of the dead leaves. Beautiful pink, lily-like flowers all around me, they were absolutely gorgeous.
One of my neighbors told me they were called "Naked Ladies" and as I looked them over, I thought they looked a lot like a type of hippeastrum or amaryllis. Sure enough, a quick Google search told me they were, in fact, hippeastrum.
I decided that I wanted to keep some of these beauties in pots with my amaryllis collection. Yesterday, I potted some bulbs up.
Does anyone have any experience with growing these Naked Ladies in pots? If so, do you have any tips? Thanks!!
"Naked Lady" Hippeastrum advice needed
No experience with this particular one. However, I have tried to grow the red "spider lily" also known as "naked ladies" in pots. What happened with them is that each successive year they grew new bulbs underneath the old bulbs. In a few years I had a put full of bulbs stacked on top of each other that never bloomed.
After I put them in the ground it took a couple of years for them to bloom.
I don't know if this would be applicable to the type of plant you have or not, but they are apparently relatives.
Good luck with them!
Kay
Hi, GeminisGreen.
Sounds like you have Amaryllis Belladonna bulbs. You can grow these in pots, but they should be in large containers since they don't really like their roots to be disturbed. And, as I understand, they want to be grown outdoors.
In the fall, they will grow leaves. If they haven't yet, they will when the rain comes, or once they've re-established their roots (for those that were transplanted). You're in a warm enough climate that they will likely keep their leaves through the spring. They grow leaves during the rainy season. In early summer, their leaves will die back and the bulbs will go dormant. Most sources I've read say not to water them once they've gone dormant, but a few say it's okay to give them a little water now and then. In late summer or fall, they will send up flower stalks with the flowers as you described. Leaves will reappear shortly after they are done flowering.
They do also grow offsets, so having them in a large container will give them room for this.
Hope this helps.
Michelle