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Brunsvigia josephinae (Josephine's Candelabra Flower) - A bulbous perennial that is considered to have the largest bulbs of any plant, sometimes exceeding 2 feet in length. Its gray green leaves are also large, being up to 2 to 3 feet long by 4 to 8 inches wide. These leaves are only present during winter and spring months before dying back in the summer before the flowers appear in late summer to fall autumn. The flowers are borne thick stalks to 18-23 inches tall in a full head, often more than 25, of coral-red flowers that are each about 2 1/2 inches across. After the blooms fade the pedicels elongate with the ripening seeds just as the leaves begin to emerge.
Plant in full sun to half shade and protect from frost. Irrigate well during the growing season from fall to spring if natural rainfall is not adequate and allow a rest period w/o irrigation during the summer. If plants are dug it is important to remove entire bulb as root attachment area should not be broken. Plants usually will not bloom the first or second year after bulbs are dug and seedling grown plants can take many years before first flowering. This plant can be grown in large containers.
Brunsvigia josephinae is native to the Western Karoo into the drier western areas of the Eastern Cape Providence of South Africa. The genus name honor of the Duchy of Brunswick, a historical German state with the specific name honoring the Empress Josephine, Napoleon's first wife. It was first introduced into cultivation into cultivation in 1814. Our plants were seed grown ones from Dylan Hannon, the curator of the conservatory at the Huntington Botanic Gardens. Though we not longer grow this plant we continue to grow and sell presumed hybrids involving this species and Amaryllis belladonna that we list as Amaryllis belladonna hybrids.
This information about Brunsvigia josephinae displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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