Rhodophiala Species, Mountain Ananuca, Wild Amaryllis

This pretty amarilidaceae has its natural habitat in the Chilean portion of the Andes Mountains, between 1800 and 3500 m.a.s.l.
...Read Morer /> Main requirements: very fertile and well drained soil, full sun. The bulbs require a cold period of at least 3 months during winter (covered with snow, without watering). Good drainage is very important!

They have usually only one flower per stem, each flower some 6 cm (2") diameter. Their colour can range from white to pink, and the flowers will have either red dots or stripes.

Propagation: stratified sowing in Autumn, using a mix of one part regular garden soil, two parts compost, one part river sand and one part perlite. Display seeds on the surface and barely cover them with some sand to keep them on their place when watering. Do not remove the bulbils before one year. They will bloom when the bulb is fully mature (third to fourth year from seed). This bulb produces only one bulbil every 2 or 3 years.

Fertilize at least once a year (during Autumn) with an organic fertilizer.

Rhodophiala rhodolirion is adecuate for borders, bulb beds, and specially for pots and containers.