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| Category: Bulb/Tuber/Rhizome etc. |
| Family: Amaryllidaceae (Onions) |
| Origin: Argentina (South America) |
| Flower Color: Crimson Red |
| Bloomtime: Summer/Fall |
| Synonyms: [Hippeastrum bifidum] |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Rhodophiala bifida (Oxblood Lily) - This vigorous and adaptable bulb that can form large clumps with narrow 8 to 10 inch long grass-like green leaves that emerge in fall and grow through mid spring and then dry up with the plant going dormant in summer. The brilliant red 2 inch wide trumpet shaped flowers rise up on a 15 inch tall stalk before leaves emerge in late summer. Each flower lasts but 2 to 3 days but a clump can produce flowers over a month long period. Plant in a most any soil that has pretty decent drainage in full sun or in shade where the flowers seem to last a bit longer. Occasional irrigation in spring even when plants are still dormant is recommended to keep roots alive and promote flowering and responds rapidly to irrigation provided in later summer and early fall. Hardy to below 0° F with a winter mulch and useful in USDA Zones 7 to 10. These bulbs make a beautiful and colorful punch of red in the garden. Rhodophiala bifida comes from Uruguay and Argentina and reportedly were brought to Texas by German immigrants from Argentina in the 1850's. The name for the genus is from the Greek word 'rhodo' meaning "red" and the Latin word 'phiala' which is a "flat-bottom drinking vessel" or "saucer" in reference to the bowl shape of the flower. The specific epithet means deeply two-cleft. Rhodophiala is often compared to and closely related to the florist amaryllis (Hippeastrum), but with their narrow parallel sided leaves are actually more like a large flowering Habranthus or Zephyranthes. We originally grew this plant in 2001-2003 and have put it back into production in 2020.
The information on this page is based on research conducted about this plant in our library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of this plant in our nursery crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we visit. We also will incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Rhodophiala bifida. |
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