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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.
Information displayed on this page about Brunsvigia josephinae is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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