Flowers and bulbs: the Scadoxus

Origin and characteristics of Scadoxus

A rare, pink flower, whose story still has many shades wrapped in mystery: Scadoxus is a special flower with great visual impact, thanks to its size that can reach over 60 centimeters. Scadoxus comes from Africa: there are seven species, three of which originate in the southern and four of the tropical areas. The best known is Scadoxus Multiflorus and it is also the most simple cultivation and best yielding Scadoxus in our territory. It is made up of many pink inflorescences, which sometimes can take intense red reflections with white veins.

The distinctive feature of this flower is the multitude of flowers that grow among the stamens and, together, give the flower a particular appearance, similar to that of a sea anemone. In the Puniceus variant, the Scadoxus is orange with golden filaments, while the one called Pole-Evansii has a more delicate, ancient pink nuance.

How to cultivate the Scadoxus

Although being an African plant, Scadoxus is a flower that grows generally in the shade, but suffers from cold. Ideal cultivation involves the provision of potted bulbs. To cultivate it, it is necessary to provide it with a rich soil: a universal soil of excellent quality found in a nursery can be fine. You can add some sand to the cultivation land but it is not indispensable. Scadoxus does not tolerate stiff temperatures and, in the case of frost or descent below 10-12 degrees, it is affected until death. As an evergreen it is advisable to keep it in the house exposed to light in cold and outdoors, but not directly exposed to violent sunlight in the spring and summer. It is advisable to repair it in the event of heavy rains, hailstorms or strong or too cold wind. It is a plant that needs a good amount of water, so it is watered in abundance but then waiting for the soil to completely drain before the watering operation.

Curiosity

It is a plant that in Africa grows spontaneously. It is very resistant and is hardly subject to illness. The only thing to do is to avoid stagnation in the soil, because mushrooms can be born that in some cases can damage the plant. Scadoxus can reproduce in spring through bulbs or seeds, but it is also possible to do so by breaking off and re-invoking the small, growing seedlings around the tree. It does not require pruning, but it is necessary to eliminate the ruined parts or death whenever you notice them. It is a very rare and little-known flower: if you want to astonish someone with a special gift, Scadoxus, in a vase, can be the winning idea.