Pacific BX 239
J.E. Shields (Sat, 29 May 2010 08:24:59 PDT)

Haemanthus montanus is a white-flowered, summer-growing species. It is one
of the more cold-hardy species of Haemanthus. It is found in the
provinces of Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape in
South Africa. They are in bloom right now on our deck.

Haemanthus humilis humilis is from the Eastern Cape Province of South
Africa. It has pink flowers and smooth leaves. Summer-growing.

Haemanthus humilis hirsutus is from the Drakensberg of Mpumalanga,
KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, and Lesotho. It is summer-growing and has white
flowers. Its leaves are hairy (hence the name "hirsutus"). It is another
relatively cold-hardy species of Haemanthus.

I grow all of the above species in a gritty mix, leaving them bone-dry in
the cool greenhouse in winter. Now they are outdoors in full sun, getting
watered whenever the soil seems dry. I feed often with water-soluble
20-10-20 (Jack's Professional Peatlite with Micronutrients).

Jim Shields
in warm and sunny Westfield, Indiana

*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA