Hemantus (elephant ear) originates from South Africa, from Kapland. The variety can be seen most often in our region Haemanthus albiflos which has large leathery leaves, in the middle of which a white flower with numerous yellow stamens develops on a 10 cm long, strong stem.
This species tolerates dry air in the room well, it has no great requirements, so even beginners can grow it with success. We keep it on the south window, slightly shaded only on the hottest days.
In the summer, we water it abundantly, occasionally we feed it, while in the winter we should stop feeding it, and water it only enough so that the nugget does not dry out. It is better to winter in an unheated room than in a heated room. If it is in a too warm room in the winter, the hard, downward-bent leaves often lose their shape.
It blooms at different times of the year, most often in summer, and does not lose its leaves.
It is propagated by small bulbs that are separated from the mother bulb and planted in a flower pot in a mixture of loam, loam and sand. Older plants are transplanted every 3-4 years into slightly heavier soil.
It is not good to transplant them often, it is better to supplement during the summer.
If the young bulbs are not separated, beautiful large multi-leafed plants will develop over the years. When transplanting, care should be taken not to damage the fleshy roots, otherwise the plant will lag behind in growth.
In addition to this variety, there are also examples of more sensitive varieties here and there Haemanthus multiflorus (more recently known as Scadoxus multiflorus) and Haemanthus coccineus.
Haemanthus multiflorus is a perennial bulbous plant with thin leaves, up to 40 cm long and up to 15 cm wide. It blooms during the summer. Its flower is impressive – up to 30 cm in diameter, and it can contain up to 200 flowers.
// Haemanthus multiflorus
The flowers are red, located on a leafless flower stem up to 30 cm high.
The bases of the leaves have fused and form a false tree up to 15 cm high. The bulb is round, 8-10 cm in diameter. They are planted like amaryllis, so the top of the bulb must stick out of the ground.
It requires a semi-sunny place and porous soil (4:1 soil-sand), with good drainage.
Haemanthus coccineus it has red flowers, with numerous dense yellow stamens. In this variety, after flowering, the leaves start to turn a little yellow and wither. That’s why you should then stop feeding, and gradually stop watering, so that the bulb overwinters dry.
// Haemanthus coccineus
Only when it starts to push again, we cautiously start watering, and when it develops its 4-5 leathery leaves, we water it normally.
This variety requires lighter, humus-rich soil and quite large pots, because the older bulbs are often as big as a fist.
AND Haemanthus coccineus it can be in the same pot for years in a sunny and warm place in the summer, and in a cold, frost-protected place in the winter, but it can also overwinter in a room.
In addition to these varieties, gardeners have bred beautiful tropical hybrids such as Haemainthus katharinae and Konig Albert. These even more sensitive plants do best in a closed flower window. In total, there are about 60 varieties of hemantus and all of them are very beautiful and grateful plants.