Scadoxus Puniceus

 

Scadoxus puniceus

Common names:

English: Paintbrush lily, Snake lily,

Zulu: isisphompho, umgola

German: Blutblume

Distribution:

Scadoxus puniceus which belongs to the plant family Amaryllidaceae is native to much of southern and eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), and South Africa in the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Northern Provinces.

Description:

The spring flowering, summer growing Scadoxus puniceus is one of South Africa's most striking bulbous plants.

Scadoxus puniceus growing in the Durban area flower shoot up a flower spike followed once flowering is over by the leaves at the end of August into September bearing large dense inflorescences up to 15cm across consisting of numerous smaller scarlet flowers with bright yellow anthers. There is a white colour form. 

The flower stalk may reach up to 50-60cm and is often spotted with purple near the base. The inflorescences are borne within bracts which may be large and dark purplish red in colour. Sunbirds, Spectacled weavers, mousebirds and other nectivorous birds feed on the nectar produced by the flowers. The young inflorescence, protected by bracts and borne on the red/purple spotted flower stalk, appears first, followed by the stem which bears 6-8 leaves. The leaves are glossy green, reach 30-40cm in length and have wavy margins. They are held erect clasping at the base to form a pseudostem (false stem) which has red/purple speckled scale leaves at the base.

 

The large underground bulbs may be up to 10cm across and have a short thick stem at the base from which numerous fleshy roots arise. The plants are dormant in winter and use the large bulbs and roots to store moisture during this period.

The fruits are fleshy, round, shiny red berries up to ±1cm in diameter. They bear single soft pearl-like seeds inside. Ripe berries eaten by birds and monkeys.

Habitat:

Scadoxus puniceus is very adaptable plant in regarding to where they grow. They occur in sandy soil in dry coastal and dune forest, in inland forests they can be found growing in deep shade often in leaf mould on rocks, under trees in woodlands as well in grasslands in full sun.

Medicinal Uses:

As within many of the closely related members of the plant family Amaryllidaceae, Scadoxus puniceus is poisonous and deaths have been reported following the ingestion of the bulb. However, although it is considered poisonous in significant amounts, it is used traditionally to treat "coughs, gastro-intestinal problems, febrile colds, asthma, leprosy, sprains and bruises," and "as an antidote to poisons.'" It is also used as a diuretic. The leaves are applied to sores and ulcers to aid healing and act as an antiseptic. The plant is also traditionally consumed during pregnancy as part of an herbal regime to ensure safe labour. The alkaloids in the plant include haemanthamines, haemanthidine, 6-β-hydroxycrinamine, scapunine, and scadoxucines.

Scadoxus puniceus is ranked as one of the most-traded medicinal plant species in South Africa.

Horticultural and landscape uses:

The magnificent Scadoxus puniceus is a well-known plant which is grown worldwide as both a house plant as well as outside as a landscape plant in countries with a warm enough climate.

The striking flowers last a long time as a cut flower and if artificially pollinated will produce seeds that in time turn bright red and can be planted to produce new plants.

Scadoxus puniceus grows very well as a green roof plant.

Growing Scadoxus puniceus:

The paintbrush lily Scadoxus puniceus that is very easy to grow has been in cultivation in Holland since early 18th century. It does well planted in the ground as well as in containers both inside and outside.

Scadoxus puniceus although they will grow under very unfavorable conditions in infertile or clay soils in and in deep shade, they will grow and flower best if planted in well-drained soil to which compost has been added in a semi-shady position or full sun. Water regularly in summer and keep them reasonably dry in winter. they do not like to be overwatered or to stand in water, this could cause the roots to rot. When grown in South Africa the Amaryllis lily borer caterpillar can cause severe damage to or kill the whole plant if not controlled.

When grown in a container both inside, our outside they must be grown in a loose well drained growing medium as used to grow Clivias in, which is allowed to dry out between watering. They respond well to being fertilized with either a balanced slow-release fertilizer or liquid feed.

Propagation:

Scadoxus puniceus are easily propagated in large numbers from seed which must be sown fresh, however one needs to have some patience because they are slow-growing and will take 4-5 years before flowering.

They can also be grown vegetatively using these standard methods used to propagate bulbs;

Offsets:

Offsets are the baby bulbs that develop naturally at the base of the parent bulb. When separated from the parent bulb and planted, offsets produce vegetative growth for a few years until mature enough to flower.

Scooping:

In scooping, the entire basal plate of a mature bulb is scooped out with a curved scalpel or small knife. Scooped bulbs are then placed in a warm (21 degrees Celsius) dark location for about two weeks. During the third week, adventitious bulblets will begin to form. Temperature should be increased to 29 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity should be at 85%. When new roots form, the bulblets can be planted. It may be four to five years before bulbs flower.

Scoring:

In this method, three cuts are made at the base of a mature bulb to form 6 pie-shaped sections. Cuts should reach just below the widest point of the bulb. The bulb is then placed in a warm, dark, humid location for a few months. When bulblets form, the mother bulb and bulblets can be planted. It usually takes three to four years for bulblets to reach flowering size.

Sectioning:

A sectioned bulb is cut into five to ten pie-shaped sections, each with part of the base attached. Sections are treated as scored and cored bulbs. This method is the easiest and the one that I prefer and mostly use.

General:

This is the very first plant that I grew, having dug one out of the forest opposite my parent’s home about as a child about sixty five years ago. Amazingly it was still growing in the same position although having developed into a huge group of plants in 2006 when the house was sold.

CJM Nursery has some good information on their website at https://cjmgrowers.co.za/scadoxus-puniceus/

Article written by Michael Hickman 01.09.2023

www.ecoman.co.za

www.hlem.co.za

Paintbrush Lily Scadoxus puniceus

English:        Snake Lily, Paintbrush Lily 

German:       Blutblume

Zulu:             isisphompho, umgola

Scadoxus puniceus growing in grassland in full sun in my garden at Mount Moreland north of Durban, note the leaves are almost absent at the time of flowering when growing in the full sun

Scadoxus puniceus is a bulbous plant belonging to the Family: Amaryllidaceae and the Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae which is native to eastern southern Africa. It has been recorded growing

in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, and South Africa.

Scadoxus puniceus are mostly found growing in the shade of coastal forests, where they grow in leaf litter often in dry localities. They are also found growing in scrub and in full sun in grasslands. When growing in full sun the leaves and in particular the bracts around the flowers are a much darker richer colour.

Growth habit

Produces lush shiny bright green leaves in the summer months after flowering. In the later summer the leaves turn yellow and die and the large bulb which is mostly above ground goes into winter dormancy flowering out of the bare ground in the middle to late winter in Durban. The flowers are pollinated by bees and olive sunbirds

The fruits are fleshy, shiny round red berries up to approximately 1cm in diameter. They have single soft pearl-like seeds inside. The ripe berries are eaten by birds in particular black eyed bulbul or common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus  tricolor)

Black eyed bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus tricolor

Medicinal uses

Although the bulb is poisonous containing the alkaloids haemanthamines, haemanthidine, 6-?-hydroxycrinamine, scapunine, and scadoxucines it is used in traditional medicine to treat coughs, gastro-intestinal problems, febrile colds, asthma, leprosy, sprains and bruises, and as an antidote to poisons. It is also used as a diuretic. The leaves are applied to sores and ulcers to aid healing and act as an antiseptic. The plant is also traditionally consumed during pregnancy as part of an herbal regime to ensure safe labour.

Growing Scadoxus puniceus

This is one of my firm favourites, it is the first plant that I have recollection of growing as a child. The first specimens I dug out in the bush across the road from my parents house and planted in our garden at the age of about 5 years. Plants subdivided from those originally collected back in the late 1950´s were still growing in the garden in 2006 when my mother sold the house. Scadoxus puniceus are extremely easy to grow in our climate in particular if they are grown in the ground in well drained sandy soil enriched with a little organic matter in particular well rotted leaf mould. In the ground it will not need watering at all. It also does well planted in containers in well drained soil, do not over water, it is best to keep it a bit on the dry side to develop a good healthy root system.

Amaryllis lily borer Brithys crini can cause severe damage to the whole plant if not controlled.

Plants grown in the full sun however appear to be unaffected by Amaryllis lily borer which seldom lay their eggs on them and when they do from observation it would appear that plants grown in strong light develop toxins in the leaves that kill the young larvae soon after boring into the leaves.

A must for every indigenous garden in the areas where it grows naturally, it also makes a good indoor pot plant provided it gets enough light.

I photographed these Scadoxus puniceus growing well outdoors in New Zealand grown by David Brundell in his magnificent garden at Glenbrook Beach near Waiuku south of Auckland a must for anyone interested in plants to see if they are in the area. Viewing by appointment only see http://gardenza.co.nz/ for details.

Propagation

Scadoxus puniceus may be propagated vegetatively from the bulbs, by splitting off offsets and from seed which must have the flesh removed and planted as soon thereafter as possible.  The seed must be place on the surface of the sandy well drained growing medium and lightly pressed into the growing medium, do not cover the seed. Water but not too much as the young seedling will rot very easily if they are kept too wet. They are slow-growing and will take a few years before flowering but vast numbers can be propagated easily in this manner.

Cut flowers

Scadoxus puniceus makes a good very long lasting cut flower. If the water is changed regularly and if the flower is artificially pollinated it will set bright shiny green seeds which will in time ripen to a brilliant red in the vase. The flowers will also last a long time completely without water in a vase.

Landscaping

A magnificent very much overlooked plant in South African landscapes and interior plantscapes

Scadoxus puniceus is an excellent bedding plant with a net and tidy growth habit to brighten those shady, dull, dry areas under trees where nothing wants to grow with their brilliant lush green colour and spectacular flowers popping up through the mulch and fallen leaves in the middle of winter. No garden be it planted to exotics, a mixture of exotic or purely indigenous plants should be without this spectacular plant.

Like the other South African Scadoxus species it makes an excellent easy to care for pot plant.

Michael Hickman
Ecosystems Manager

Landscape Design Specialist

http://www.ecoman.co.za

michael@ecoman.co.za

20.10.14