Boophone disticha cultivation

[Mike_K]

How do you grow Boophone disticha?
I have a small plant which barely grows and
I find it rather difficult to keep alive
Do you have any growing tips?

[MatDz]

No experience at all, but when I looked at this species before all habitat photographs showed the bulb exposed, perhaps that's worth a try? E.g. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/367465 ... wse_photos

[peter831shaw]

I have two from Telos (in CA) and easily a dozen small ones from seed. They should be showing the neck of the bulb and they are winter growers, so stop watering mid spring as they show yellowing foliage.

[Aiko]

A Boophone is winteractive. Don't water it anymore, keep it for the summer in a bit shaded spot and just let it wait for late August to give it a splash again to start to wake it up. The leaves that have withered away should at some point regrow again once it is active.

[Pattock]

PlantZAfrica disagrees, stating that the plant "occurs mainly in summer rainfall regions." "The greyish-green leaves are erect, arranged in a conspicuous fan and are usually produced after flowering. This spring-flowering species will flower even if it does not receive any water in winter." Though "Wherever you live in South Africa, in a summer- or winter-rainfall region, along the coast or in a semi-arid area, try Boophone disticha in your garden, as it is a most rewarding bulbous plant." Both winter and summer growers are in cultivation outside South Africa, see previous posts on this forum.

Growing Boophone disticha

This plant thrives in full sun in well-drained, sandy soil and also in rocky areas. It should be planted in a protected area, although it can stand drought it does not like frost. The bulb should be planted in such a way that the neck and part of the bulb show above the ground. The plants seem to grow equally well in well-drained, sandy soil and in hard ground, but they take a long time to flower after being moved. The bulbs do not produce flowers until they are quite large.

https://pza.sanbi.org/boophone-disticha

I have no experience with the plant as I like my plants edible. It contains fascinating poisons, though.

Fertiliser?

[Ali Baba]

Boophone disticha grows in summer and winter rainfall areas according to the Pacific Bulb Wiki. So it may grow in winter or summer depending on where your seed originated. I’d suggest a deep pot, gritty soil and as much sunshine as you can give it. A bit of slow release fertiliser will help. You will have to observe it to see if it prefers to grow in winter or summer

[Mike_K]

The plant was dormant over the winter and started to grow in April but the rate of growth is rather disappointing.
Maybe I should increase the amount of fertiliser as you mentioned water more frequently And take it out of direct sun.

[Darren S]

The plant was dormant over the winter and started to grow in April but the rate of growth is rather disappointing.
Maybe I should increase the amount of fertiliser as you mentioned water more frequently And take it out of direct sun.

Certainly sounds like a summer-growing form. I agree it needs a lot of feeding, a deep pot and the amount of sun depends where you are. I suspect in much of the UK it would happily take full sun.

Also - some of these big amaryllids are very slow to reach flowering size anyway. According to my books this one can take five years. I'm still waiting for flowers on some Brunsvigia and Haemanthus after more than a decade.

[Pattock]

The plant was dormant over the winter and started to grow in April but the rate of growth is rather disappointing.
Maybe I should increase the amount of fertiliser as you mentioned water more frequently And take it out of direct sun.

It is recommended for full sun in South Africa, it should be able to cope even in Devon.

Don't forget to raise the bulb so it is mostly out of the soil.

This plant looks very well-grown and took 17 years before it flowered:

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