I inherited this from my mother, and have no idea what it is. Any idea,
anyone?

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...Image004-1.jpg

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...t=Image005.jpg

It would be nice to know what care it's meant to be getting, though this is
the second year it has flowered so it can't be too unhappy...


Ian

(Sorry if this is a repost, the first post hasn't shown up on my news
server)

On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 Ian B wrote:

I inherited this from my mother, and have no idea what it is. Any idea,
anyone?

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...n%201/?action=
view&current=Image004-1.jpg

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...n%201/?action=
view&current=Image005.jpg

It would be nice to know what care it's meant to be getting, though this is
the second year it has flowered so it can't be too unhappy...

It's an Amaryllis. I've had one that *my* mother gave me more than
thirty years ago (my father bought it for her in Woolworth's) and it's
still going strong. Keep it watered in summer and just damp or even no
water in winter. Feed from time to time, especially after flowering. You
may get years when it doesn't flower but don't give up hope. It'll grow
small bulbs to the side which can be potted on and will provide new
plants.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

On 18/06/2011 17:52, Ian B wrote:
I inherited this from my mother, and have no idea what it is. Any idea,
anyone?

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...Image004-1.jpg

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...t=Image005.jpg

It would be nice to know what care it's meant to be getting, though this is
the second year it has flowered so it can't be too unhappy...


Ian

(Sorry if this is a repost, the first post hasn't shown up on my news
server)


Looks like Clivia miniata to me.

--

Jeff

"Ian B" wrote

I inherited this from my mother, and have no idea what it is. Any idea,
anyone?

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...Image004-1.jpg

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...t=Image005.jpg

It would be nice to know what care it's meant to be getting, though this
is
the second year it has flowered so it can't be too unhappy...


As others have said it's a Clivia miniata, easy to grow, don't overwater,
let it get potbound for the best flowering, will gradually increase in size
and make a superb specimen plant. You can split them up remembering they
like to be potbound and grow more from the seeds they produce.
Mine are kept in our tiny little N. facing greenhouse and the original one
is now rather heavy to move. Gh is kept at min 50°F over winter and I hardly
water it then.
Lovely plants, every conservatory should have one.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Janet wrote:
In article ,
lid says...

On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 Bob Hobden wrote:

"Ian B" wrote

I inherited this from my mother, and have no idea what it is. Any
idea, anyone?


http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...en%201/?action
=view&current=Image004-1.jpg


http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/...en%201/?action
=view&current=Image005.jpg

It would be nice to know what care it's meant to be getting, though
this is
the second year it has flowered so it can't be too unhappy...


As others have said it's a Clivia miniata,

I'm surprised that everyone else thinks it's a Clivia miniata.

Well, it is. Clivia leaves are evergreen, wider, more prolific and
more leathery than amaryllis.


It's most definitely evergreen. If amaryllis isn't, that excludes amaryllis
I'm afraid.


Ian

"Ian B" wrote

I have to say it looks more like the Clivia pictures to me. If it's any
help, it always has leaves. I've never seen it "naked" like the amaryllis
photo.

Thanks to everyone who has answered. Regarding the "overwatering" Bob
mentioend; to be honest it's been very definitely "underwatered", verging
on entirely forgotten at times, and never seems to have suffered. There
were times I wondered if it was plastic, considering how little water it
has managed on.

It was in my mother's hall, getting very little light, and when she was
ill and for a while after she died, it got no water at all, I just forgot
it. But it survived anyway. It currently lives on my living room window
sill (inside); I never saw it flower when my mum had it but this is the
second year it's flowered now, probably because it's been watered
occasionally and sees the sun. It faces southish but there are so many
trees it never really gets direct sun, except in a dappled kind of a way.

I did give it some solid feed earlier in the year, "Growmore" granular
stuff, that I just mixed into the top of the compost. I wonder if I should
repot it, as it never has been.

How big might it get with love and care? I've no idea how old it is.


As you have discovered with love and care you will probably kill it. With
nearly total neglect it will gradually get bigger and bigger until the pot
cracks, then you repot in a bigger pot and you start all over again until
you can't lift the pot.
Age is difficult because it sounds like you Mum treated it rather badly with
little light, I recently gave away one I grew from seed that wasn't much
smaller than your one and that was 4 years old.
BTW mine was originally my mothers, she died in 1993. I've also inherited
another one since with a different flower colour.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Amaryllis has pointed petals, which are in two sets of three one set inside the other ( botanically it's 3 petals and 3 sepals)

This plant has rounded petals, and they're not so obviously overlapping as amaryllis. And the colour is too orangey for amaryllis.

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Ian B" wrote

I have to say it looks more like the Clivia pictures to me. If it's
any help, it always has leaves. I've never seen it "naked" like the
amaryllis photo.

Thanks to everyone who has answered. Regarding the "overwatering" Bob
mentioend; to be honest it's been very definitely "underwatered",
verging on entirely forgotten at times, and never seems to have
suffered. There were times I wondered if it was plastic, considering
how little water it has managed on.

It was in my mother's hall, getting very little light, and when she
was ill and for a while after she died, it got no water at all, I
just forgot it. But it survived anyway. It currently lives on my
living room window sill (inside); I never saw it flower when my mum
had it but this is the second year it's flowered now, probably
because it's been watered occasionally and sees the sun. It faces
southish but there are so many trees it never really gets direct
sun, except in a dappled kind of a way. I did give it some solid feed
earlier in the year, "Growmore"
granular stuff, that I just mixed into the top of the compost. I
wonder if I should repot it, as it never has been.

How big might it get with love and care? I've no idea how old it is.


As you have discovered with love and care you will probably kill it.
With nearly total neglect it will gradually get bigger and bigger
until the pot cracks, then you repot in a bigger pot and you start
all over again until you can't lift the pot.

That conjured a low budget horror movie scene in my mind: we see a gardener,
an old chap with a kindly face, pottering in his green house... but then the
camera gradually pulls back to that plant in the corner- forgotten,
neglected, angry, and growing... growing...

Seriously, how much watering is overwatering? At the moment it gets a glass
full (literally) when I think of it.

Age is difficult because it sounds like you Mum treated it rather
badly with little light, I recently gave away one I grew from seed
that wasn't much smaller than your one and that was 4 years old.

Mum died four years ago, so it's considerably older than that.

BTW mine was originally my mothers, she died in 1993. I've also
inherited another one since with a different flower colour.

From reading this thread, inheritance seems pretty frequent. It may become a
tradition, the passing of the Clivia Miniata. "This one's been in the family
for four generations".


Ian

On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 Ian B wrote:

From reading this thread, inheritance seems pretty frequent. It may become a
tradition, the passing of the Clivia Miniata. "This one's been in the family
for four generations".

.... and Amaryllis (and I still think that's what it is ... mutter,
mutter ....)

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

Please can you tell us why you think it's an Amaryllis? Everything I know about Amaryllis and Clivia (and I grow both) says to me that the photo is a Clivia, but I can always learn, so I'd like to know what are the characteristics ion the photo that lead you to say Amaryllis?

If you water an amaryllis all the year round, it will keep its leaves.

As almost everyone else says, its definantely a Clivia, if we are wrong then Ive sold several hundreds of plants wrongly named HaHaHa.

I grew these (Clivia miniata) commercially for a number of years and
until fairly recently was breeding them to produce pure ivory
flowers. I've also grown both true Amaryllis (belladonna - the hardy
species) and still grown several false 'Amaryllis' more correctly
known as Hippeastrum. There's only a remote similarity in the flowers
and apart from Clivia being a member of the Amaryllidaceae, I can't
understand how it should be mistaken for other Amaryllids.

As to cultivation, Clivias require bright, but indirect light and
during the main growing period (from flowering till late autumn)
should be kept moderately moist. Direct sun wll burn the foliage
making it very unsightly and since these are evergreen, you will have
to live with damaged leaves for a good year or so. They appreciate
regular feeding when in active growth and an application of dilute
Miracle Gro every 2 weeks from flowering until autumn will keep them
hale and hearty.

Whilst they have a reputation for enjoying cramped conditions at the
root, they grow better if potted on every other year immediately after
flowering. A sharply drained, loam-inclusive compost gives best
results and I've always used a 50/50 mix of JI No2 and multi-purpose
compost to which 20% by volume either perlite or horticultural grit
has been added. From late autumn until the appearance of the flower
spike, Clivias are best rested in a bright cool, but frost-free
position and only given enough moisture to prevent the compost
becoming absolutely dust dry. Cool, nearly dry winter rests help
initiate the development of the flower buds and ensures a good show in
spring.

kay wrote:
Janet;927248 Wrote:
In article ,
lid says...-

On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 Ian B wrote:
-
From reading this thread, inheritance seems pretty frequent. It may
become a
tradition, the passing of the Clivia Miniata. "This one's been in the
family
for four generations". --

That's a testament to how tough and longlived they are.-

... and Amaryllis (and I still think that's what it is ... mutter,
mutter ....)-

even though he said the leaves are evergreen? :-)

Janet

If you water an amaryllis all the year round, it will keep its leaves.

Ah! So *this* is the way to amaryllis!


(sorry)

"Dave Poole" wrote ...

I grew these (Clivia miniata) commercially for a number of years and
until fairly recently was breeding them to produce pure ivory
flowers. I've also grown both true Amaryllis (belladonna - the hardy
species) and still grown several false 'Amaryllis' more correctly
known as Hippeastrum. There's only a remote similarity in the flowers
and apart from Clivia being a member of the Amaryllidaceae, I can't
understand how it should be mistaken for other Amaryllids.

As to cultivation, Clivias require bright, but indirect light and
during the main growing period (from flowering till late autumn)
should be kept moderately moist. Direct sun wll burn the foliage
making it very unsightly and since these are evergreen, you will have
to live with damaged leaves for a good year or so. They appreciate
regular feeding when in active growth and an application of dilute
Miracle Gro every 2 weeks from flowering until autumn will keep them
hale and hearty.

Whilst they have a reputation for enjoying cramped conditions at the
root, they grow better if potted on every other year immediately after
flowering. A sharply drained, loam-inclusive compost gives best
results and I've always used a 50/50 mix of JI No2 and multi-purpose
compost to which 20% by volume either perlite or horticultural grit
has been added. From late autumn until the appearance of the flower
spike, Clivias are best rested in a bright cool, but frost-free
position and only given enough moisture to prevent the compost
becoming absolutely dust dry. Cool, nearly dry winter rests help
initiate the development of the flower buds and ensures a good show in
spring.

So I am growing it correctly except for the repotting, thanks Dave. Water
and feed in summer ignore in winter. Did you manage to breed an ivory
flowered one? Can't say I've seen one anywhere.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK