Pictures on this page are of Nerine hybrids. Nerine sarniensis is the main parent of 300 years of Nerine breeding. The world's largest collection of Nerine sarniensis hybrids is kept at Exbury Gardens in the United Kingdom. Pictures of named hybrids housed there can be viewed here. Most of the photos on this wiki page are of unknown parentage, at least by those who grow them. Others the contributors have been told about the probable heritage, but we have been unable to verify the names.
One attractive characteristic of many Nerine hybrids is what's called "diamond dust." The petals of many hybrids sparkle and shimmer in the sun, as if they had been dusted with crystals. The "dust" is usually white, but sometimes looks golden on red flowers. This effect is seen in some other Amaryllids, but it is especially prominent in many of the N. sarniensis hybrids. The "dust" is difficult to photograph, but the photo below gives some idea of what it looks like.
For information about Nerine species visit the Nerine wiki page.
Nerine 'Afterglow' This bulb flowered 6 weeks after a fall planting in Washington, DC. It resulted from a cross between sarniensis and bowdenii. The attractive flowers are red with a strong element of orange. Photo from Mark Wilcox and Michael Mace who write that the inflorescence is about twice the size of a typical N. sarniensis hybrid.
Nerine 'Baby Salmon' This plant flowers well in Australia. Photo from Lyn Edwards.
Nerine 'Coconut Ice' This plant flowers well in Australia. Photo from Lyn Edwards.
Nerine 'Fenwick Variety' photographed by Bill Dijk. This plant may have Nerine bowdenii in its heritage or be a form of it.
Nerine 'Gilbert Errey' This plant flowers well in Australia. Photo from Lyn Edwards.
Nerine 'Manina Forrest' is a pale pink hybrid that some consider a form of Nerine bowdenii, photographed by Lyn Edwards.
Nerine 'Oberon' is a cross of Nerine bowdenii 'Manina Forrest' with Nerine sarniensis. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Nerine 'Prince of Orange' has flowers of eye-burning scarlet. Photo by Michael Mace.
Nerine 'Purple Prince' holds the glistening flowers and the growing cycle of sarniensis , but with pedicels and flowers size of bowdenii. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Nerine 'Quest' is beautiful named hybrid of sarniensis with a very dark purple flowers. In full sun, they look almost to have a blue shade too. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Nerine 'Red Robin' Photo by Bill Dijk
Nerine 'sarniensis' This hybrid came from A Dry Garden, a nursery in Berkeley, California, USA. It's not clear what the parentage of this Nerine was. The label said 'sarniensis hybrid,' but the flowers are smaller and more ruffled than a typical sarniensis hybrid, and they have yellow pollen rather than the usual white. The plant is extremely floriferous, and the flowers are a deeper magenta than the photograph shows. Photo by Michael Mace.
Nerine 'Smokey' is a named Nerine sarniensis hybrid. Photo Bill Dijk.
Nerine 'Virgo' is pure, vibrant white. Photo by Michael Mace.
Nerine 'Zeal Giant' is a very vigorous bowdenii hybrid. The tall and robust stalks well display the large flowers. A winter dormant plant. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Photos below are of groups of hybrids. The first two photos are from Bill Dijk and the third from Matt Mattus of a number of Nerine sarniensis hybrids in bloom early November 2003. He grows old Exbury hybrids in a greenhouse in Massachusetts.
Hybrids created by the late Ed Zinkowski and rescued by Steve Vinisky and distributed to members of the International Bulb Society are shown on a page devoted to them.