Brunsvigia

Brunsvigia bosmaniae

Large heads of individually good-sized flowers in shades of mid to deep pink. The flowers are slightly tubular and very finely lined in shades of deeper pink.

As with other members of the genus Brunsvigia each flower is held on a flower stalk considerably longer than the length of the flower and thus they look like 3D cartwheels. As the flower-head is held on quite a short stem above the ground the effect is stunning.

This needs a good root run or large pot to do well. Standard cultivation methods for the genus are fine for this one, though like most larger Amaryllids, it needs time to settle and commence flowering regularly.

Picture © Denis Tsang, used with permission

Brunsvigia bosmaniae floweringbrubosbosFLOWERING	£59.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
About 2.4cm wide by about 5.5cm tall this is flowering sized for the species. Large view

Brunsvigia bosmaniae Rhynsdorp

This stock is a geographical form that occurs near van Rhynsdorp in southern Namaqualand. The plants have rounded mostly dark green leaves with unusual, pale pink, cartilaginous edges to the leaf margins. There are between 4 and 6 of these leaves, on each bulb. They are on average 10cm long and 7cm wide.

The flowers are huge open globes, composed of tubular, bright pink, dark-pink-lined flowers.

Brunsvigia josephiniae

Named after the 'not tonight' Empress of Napoleon Bonaparte, this is a truly spectacular winter-growing species from the Karoo, perhaps the most spectacular of all of the Brunsvigia.

Umbels of intense pure crimson. The petal bases and reverse are backed with a small area of golden yellow. The umbel in a mature plant is huge and by 'huge', I mean that these can be 60cm in diameter.

This is rightly regarded as the best of the genus and is very much sought after. Plant with ¾ of the bulb above the ground, in a very well-drained, arid-land mix.

It is very rarely that we have this species to offer and they do not usually last long in stock.

Brunsvigia josephinaebrujoseph	£15.00
4 year old bulbs

Brunsvigia littoralis

This has very attractive foliage of grey-green, strappy, wavy-edged leaves set in a rosette. The leaves are held next to, or below, a large, loose football spike of deep ox-blood red to dark pink, flaring flowers which tone to deep gold at the base of the tube.

This makes one of the biggest heads of all of the species as the peduncles holding the flowers are particularly long. If and when it flowers for you it is a real show stopper. Very lovely and highly recommended.

Everything noted elsewhere about Brunsvigia applies here plus plenty of root space, for this one.

Brunsvigia radulosa

This is a new stock of a very beautiful and intensely coloured form that is restricted to dolomite hills near Pretoria. This habitat is currently being destroyed by urban expansion and soon very few will remain. These are licensed rescue plants and as such are not totally even and symmetrical.

This rare form makes slightly smaller top growth and significantly smaller bulbs than the Free State form, this is natural.

Brunsvigia radulosa

There are usually about six leaves, spreading flat on the ground below the flowers. Each has a rough, granular ivory-coloured margin from which the name radulosa derives. The leaf tips are red.

The 30cm flower head is borne on a 40cm stem. Each large ball contains 20-70 blooms. Individual blooms are 4-5cm across. Their crystalline texture and stunning colour is lovely. In this new form it is a very rich, bright deep pink.

It does well in cultivation though it needs attention to good drainage. Culture should be in large pots, or planted out under glass, in a very fertile loam soil with plenty of feeding. Water occasionally but never over-water. If in doubt leave them dry. A dry summer rest, when their leaves die away, is essential. Good air circulation in winter will help to prevent fungal diseases resulting from damp, static air.

This stock is raised from a form that occurs in the central Free State with huge umbels of dark red flowers.

Photo Denis Tsang, with thanks (taken on Drakensberg, near the Lesotho border).

Brunsvigia radulosa Free StatebruradfreestateFlowering	£69.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Flowering sized. These are about 6cm in diameter. This is more than adequate flowering sized for this form. Large view

Brunsvigia species nova Bushmanland

This is a very unusual and attractive dwarf plant with evenly-spaced, raised, quite dense pustules on the leaves, each pustule bearing a short, thick, golden-yellow bristle. The leaves vary between 2 and 4 in number and are usually about 6-10cm long by about 2-3cm wide.

This plant is summer-dormant and winter-growing and rewards good cultivation with a compact,10cm ball-head of very attractive pale pink flowers with black anthers maturing to ivory coloured pollen. They appear in the autumn soon after growth begins but well before the leaves appear. The flower head is held on a short stem above the ground.

So far known only from limestones in a small area of Bushmanland, where South Africa and Namibia meet. This is likely to be a new, undescribed species, although, at a push, it could be a very peculiar, rare and localised form of our new species from Pellaburg. Either way it is a distinct taxon and one very worthy of cultivation. The generally compact nature of the species means that it is very well suited to container growth, in a well-drained or sandy compost - under glass in UK of course.

Brunsvigia species nova Pelaberg

A rare dwarf species totally unlike all others. Small, Hard-coated bulbs make strap-like, prostrate, bright green leaves,

The flower heads consist of good sized, bright white or very palest pink flowers, in autumn. These are packed into round umbels but as the pedicels extend so this becomes more of an open ball.

Known for many years, in cultivation and in the wild, this Brunsvigia has only recently been investigated and found to be new. It is due to be described and named in the near future assuming the reported baboons stop their depredations!

Originally found in the high desert mountains along the Orange River near Pelaberg where it grows in weathered quartz sands. The altitude of the habitat means that this tolerates cold very well and the sandy, well-drained soil indicates a love of quite dry conditions. In short it is ideal in a pot!

It is one of the most attractive of all of the small Brunsvigia species and is a very beautiful plant, naturally dwarf in stature (and bulb size). Rare and very few available.

Photograph © Denis Tsang, with permission