reblooming amaryllis ‘Apple Blossom’

[piping plovers]

This is the tallest bloom stalk I ever got on a 2nd year or reblooming amaryllis.  The stalks were always so underwhelming and shrimpy in years past.  I think I had more time to devote to it this year.  I kept it in a clay pot last summer growing against a sunny, hot, south-facing masonry wall. Watered and fertilized abundantly all the way until November and brought it indoors for a rest period of 3 months.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, piping plovers said:

This is the tallest bloom stalk I ever got on a 2nd year or reblooming amaryllis.  The stalks were always so underwhelming and shrimpy in years past.  I think I had more time to devote to it this year.  I kept it in a clay pot last summer growing against a sunny, hot, south-facing masonry wall. Watered and fertilized abundantly all the way until November and brought it indoors for a rest period of 3 months.

 

Very nice , and under appreciated plants that are much tougher than given credit for. Neighbor a block away has a patch of ...one of the standard red varieties... outdoors in near full sun ( their front yard faces south ) and they laugh at it ( the sun exposure ), flowering sometime in spring / summer ( I'll have to get pictures this year ).. Botanical Garden i visit fairly often in Tucson has a patch growing in a inaccessible part of the garden near some random Sabal where it seems they wouldn't get much attention.

Always see them in bloom when i'm down there in the Spring / Summer.  While that garden is in a warmer part of town, they occasionally get dusted with snow.

For anyone interested in some unusual varieties, there is a nursery in FL. that sells some fantastic cultivars originally developed in Australia. Had a few of their plants when i moved here, but made the mistake of keeping them in sun, in black plastic pots that first summer.. No bueno!, lol. 

Species Hippeastraum ( Roughly 90 species ) are worth pursuing alongside cultivars also.

[piping plovers]

11 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

For anyone interested in some unusual varieties, there is a nursery in FL. that sells some fantastic cultivars originally developed in Australia. Had a few of their plants when i moved here, but made the mistake of keeping them in sun, in black plastic pots that first summer.. No bueno!, lol. 

Thank you.  Yes, would enjoy seeing photos of the red amaryllis plantings when they bloom. I’ll look up the Florida nursery you mentioned above, really curious now.

On another topic, interesting that you mentioned you are near enough to Tucson. My former neighbor moved there several years ago and sent me seeds for this plant below and encouraged me to grow them outdoors in large containers; over winter indoors.  She said they are commonly grown in containers in AZ. Are you familiar with these?  Am wondering if they can be held over indoors in a cool garage like we overwinter potted brugmansias, hibiscus, geraniums and citrus.

She also sent me a wildflower seed mix packaged for AZ gardens, and enough for 2 acres!  lol, I don’t know what I’m going to do with it.  My growing conditions could not be further from AZ.  Not sure what your winter temperatures are like but your summers are legendary ( maybe more in common with planet Venus than coastal RI in summer ??——I know, exaggerating lol).

She also sent me candy made from the juice of some type of cactus. Quite yummy.

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

13 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Thank you.  Yes, would enjoy seeing photos of the red amaryllis plantings when they bloom. I’ll look up the Florida nursery you mentioned above, really curious now.

On another topic, interesting that you mentioned you are near enough to Tucson. My former neighbor moved there several years ago and sent me seeds for this plant below and encouraged me to grow them outdoors in large containers; over winter indoors.  She said they are commonly grown in containers in AZ. Are you familiar with these?  Am wondering if they can be held over indoors in a cool garage like we overwinter potted brugmansias, hibiscus, geraniums and citrus.

She also sent me a wildflower seed mix packaged for AZ gardens, and enough for 2 acres!  lol, I don’t know what I’m going to do with it.  My growing conditions could not be further from AZ.  Not sure what your winter temperatures are like but your summers are legendary ( maybe more in common with planet Venus than coastal RI in summer ??——I know, exaggerating lol).

She also sent me candy made from the juice of some type of cactus. Quite yummy.

 

 

 

I'm actually closer to Phoenix.  While Tucson is roughly 1K ft higher than where i'm at, and can get 5-10deg colder in the winter,  you'd see 98% of the same plants growing in both areas..  Tucson is also slightly cooler, / more humid, and gets more rainfall in summer compared to here ( ..9" for Chandler, vs. 11-14" in many areas around Tucson.. ) Anyway,

Regarding the plant in question, take a look over this thread: 

VERY commonly planted here, and pretty much anywhere in the southwest.  Easy plant, but a little tricky when very young ..say at 1-3gal size..  Doesn't like to be cold and soaked, though older, well established plants seem to handle those conditions better, if planted in soil that otherwise drains well. Aside from getting it past the tricky stage, i don't see any reason you couldn't grow it in a container you'd bring in during the winter.

Will drop all foliage / die back to the ground in really cold winters, though i did find a couple specimens growing in a yard in Patagonia,  -small town down south, near the AZ / Mex. Border, where it can get into the mid / lower teens and an occasional dusting of snow in the winter-   which looked as though they did not suffer total, yearly die back ( Could see woody growth near the base  )

Other than that, they laugh at heat, though our special flavor of heat seems to deter them from setting pods until later when Monsoon season kicks in.  Frequently cut to near stumps in commercial landscapes, but roar back to life once it warms up. More moisture they get when it is warm, the bigger they can grow.

There is a form of the species that is grown in FL. that is supposedly more cold tender / more tree like with greener foliage ( instead of bluish green = majority of Red Birds you'll see growing here ) and thorns instead of rubbery, flexible bristles on the stems ( Plants here ).

While there is no fragrance, flowers are very exotic looking.. Would definitely catch the attention of anyone visiting.

Depending on which wildflowers she'd sent you, you could plant them in spring, though some stuff might not sprout until it turns cooler. Because both areas are cooler, esp. in winter, and see much more rain than the low deserts, native plants from up in the mountains, 8a/b areas of S. AZ would probably be worth trying there.

Sounds like she sent you Prickly Pear Candy and yes, lol, it's good stuff.  Need more? ...or just curious what other "Southwestern Goodies" might be out there from here?  This is one of the best places to order from, if anything catches your attention: https://www.nativeseeds.org/   ( Native Seed S.E.A.R.C.H. )  Need to pick up some Mesquite Honey myself.

[piping plovers]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Regarding the plant in question, take a look over this thread: 

Ah, what a fantastic write-up and photos on the species!  Thank you so much 😊. I knew you would know about these.  The vibrancy of the flowers reminds me of the blooms of the Epidendrum orchid.  The height that these can be maintained at would make such a nice backdrop or screen.

Interesting hearing about the elevations and different climates ( temps and precipitation ) in your area. We have little elevation in RI but even in such a small state, the distance from the ocean and bay is key.  It makes a big difference in plant hardiness zones: i think it’s zones 5b to 7a in a state that’s only 50 miles from north to south.

And yes, it was prickly pear, thanks for the link for that as well!