Flower of the Week: Bush Lily
To add blossoms that are warm and bright to your yard’s dreary winter landscape, the bush lily is definitely a good choice. This type of rhizocarpous plant that originated from South Africa has dark green leaves and red-orange flowers. When the flowers bloom, they can turn your yard into a colorful oil painting. This plant has the feature of a solid skin and is easy to take care of. It has the characteristics of being suitable for both indoors and outdoors and is a favorite of many gardeners.
Bush lilies originated in the forests of South Africa. It is a perennial rhizocarpous plant in the Clivia genus of Amaryllidaceae. Although bush lilies do not have many varieties and the whole Clivia genus only has 6 types of plants, this does not affect the beauty of the varieties of plants in its genus. For example, Clivia miniata and Clivia nobilis have received the garden award of the Royal Horticultural Society of the UK.
Clivia nobilis that has draping flowers
Among all varieties, bush lilies are among the most commonly grown and have the most genetic varieties. Flowers can be vibrantly colorful and range from orange to yellow, buttery to pink, and more. There is a wide application for bush lilies. Other than being an outstanding indoor plant, it can also be used in cut-flower arrangements or for edging plants.
In the mid-19th century, when kaffir lilies were brought from Europe to Japan, Professor Okubo from the Tokyo University of Science translated the plant Clivia nobilis as “noble lily”, based on the specific epithet “nobilis“. “Nobilis” means a person with a high personal quality characteristic and this corresponds to the appearance of the lilies, as they are solemn and elegant. When this name was brought to China, due to the traditional Chinese “Ru” culture that promotes noble characteristics, the kaffir lily quickly became popular among the Chinese and became a common ornamental plant in their libraries.
The kaffir lily is also the city flower of Changchun, China. Changchun is a well-known cultivation base for kaffir lilies in Asia. Every year, a kaffir lily festival is held in Changchun. In this expo, there are quite a few valuable rare species. For example, a kaffir lily worth 6 million dollars was presented in 2011.
Bush lily belongs to Amaryllidaceae. Almost all plants of Amaryllidaceae are poisonous, including the bush lily. It contains a small amount of a poisonous substance, lycorine. Accidental ingestion of it can cause nausea, vomiting and other poisoning symptoms. Eating a large amount can even cause central nervous system numbness. Therefore, try to these lilies at a place where pets and children cannot reach. When you are doing plant division or cutting off the flower, try to wear gloves.
Bush lily is often an indoor ornamental plant. It is easy to grow them inside. Bush lilies like warm and dispersed light, so you can put them next to a bright window. It is necessary to regularly water them, but they do not like soil that is too dry or too wet. During their hibernation period in fall or winter, they do not need watering. You can also plant bush lily outdoors in soil that drains well. They are suited to be planted under trees where there is shade.
Bush lilies can produce relatively large seeds after blooming. If you collect them and plant them in warm moist soil suitable for cultivation, they will return you dazzling flowers in 3-4 years.
Size: 2 feet in height
Hardiness: USDA zones 10 to 11 (depends on species)
Sunlight: partial sun
Soil: average and well-drained
Bloom time: late winter