Sprekelia formosissima
Bursting with rake - red efflorescence as fiercely beautiful as the refinement that it ’s named after , the Aztec lily is the perfect flowering bulb for a warm , sunny landscape painting .
If you are in USDA Hardiness geographical zone 8 to 11 and you ’re extort your mastermind for a unexampled flush to supply to your garden , you should giveSprekelia formosissimaa go !
Along with boost your property ’s aesthetic , Aztec lily attract good pollinator , which is always a plus .
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kind of heat and salty soil , Aztec lily are n’t too tricky to grow and like for , once you have ’em figured out . For some help with that , our templet has you covered .
Read on to learn the authoritative scene ofS. formosissimacultivation , from propagation to pest management . It ’ll be a helpful resource for your journey of uncovering .
Photo by Nadiatalent, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Are Aztec Lilies?
Aztec lilies – akaSprekelia formosissimaor Jacobean lilies – are herbaceous , bulbous perennial from the Amaryllidaceae family , which also includes plants likeamaryllis ( Hippeastrum),onions , Narcissus pseudonarcissus , andornamental alliums .
In spitefulness of their plebeian name , Aztec lilies are nottrue lilies .
Aztec lilies rise from Mexico and Guatemala , where they farm baseless on exposed outcrops and jolty slope . As a termination , they ’ve germinate to flourish in heat , full Sunday , and rocky to sandy soils .
From the secret medulla grow three to six skinny unripened leaves , each with a central wrinkle and maximal duration of 15 inches .
Mounted on stiff stalks up to a foundation in pinnacle are six - inch crimson to scarlet red flower , each with six arc petals and yellow - tipped stamens . On occasion , the petals may be pink , have white to light green midribs , or even have white edges .
flower anytime in spring to summer – although they typically do n’t bloomeveryyear – each bloom is opened for only a few days before it fades .
Each bulb can produce more than one flower , but usually in episode , rather than simultaneously .
While open , the efflorescence attract pollinating hummingbird and butterflies , which , when pollinated , lead to three - encapsulate pods that contain black seed .
intimately evergreen plant in USDA Zones 8 to 11 , these works grow about eight to 12 inch marvellous and wide . They can also form larger clump by spreading laterally through bulb setoff , but this is generally a slow cognitive operation .
These plants can be left in - ground for the wintertime when they ’re acquire in zone 8 to 11 . In coolheaded zones , the lightbulb will need to be lifted and stash away somewhere warm during the cold month before they can be embed again in spring .
verbalize of expansion , Aztec lilies found their way into westerly horticulture by way of Spanish explorer and colonists .
The Spanish broughtS. formosissimaback to Europe , where it was introduced to the legendary Carl Linnaeus sometime in the early seventeenth hundred , during the Jacobean geological era of British history – hence the common name , Jacobean lily .
Linnaeus really identified the plant asAmaryllis formosissima , which it went by until its reclassification into theSprekeliagenus , create in 1821 by William Herbert to honour the German nurseryman Johann Heinrich von Spreckelsen .
Nowadays , Aztec lilies are a pretty planting pick whether they ’re grown out in the landscape or inside the home plate . They do especially well in southern gardens , where it ’s skillful and warm .
Aztec Lily Propagation
examine to grow some Aztec lilies of your own ? These plants can be propagate from seed , via bulb branch , or by planting out purchased bulbs . Let ’s take a look at each method acting .
From Seed
get Aztec lilies from seed definitely comes with caveat .
For one , you need more than one works for pollenation to occur , since Aztec lilies are n’t self - fertile . So if all you have is a single specimen , then germ output wo n’t happen .
Additionally , it hire three to seven years for source to grow into bloom - farm , matured adult bulb . So if time is of the essence , then source extension is n’t for you .
But if you have multiple Aztec lily and are n’t deterred by a prospicient postponement , let ’s start !
Step one : develop seeds . They can be purchase , obtain from a friend , or collected from your own Aztec lily .
If you collect seeds yourself , hold back until the seed pods become tan and crispy before using a piercing , sterile blade to take out them from the plant , cut them open , and harvest the seminal fluid within .
you’re able to also tie gauzy organza dish around the seminal fluid pod – they ’ll trip up the seeds when they naturally drop from the cum pods , all while allowing for ventilation to cut down disease risk .
Once a seed fuel pod appears , the come should be ripe after about four to six workweek .
Once you have seed , sow each one into an item-by-item three - inch container filled with a 50:50 mixture of perlite andcoconut coir . Sow each seed as deep as it is panoptic – about a half - inch inscrutable . Lay each seed flat on its side .
Moisten the media and expose the containers to bright , collateral light indoors . Keep the media moist as you wait for the seeded player to germinate , which should take a twosome of weeks .
To see to it that the incandescent lamp will be developed enough to withstand outdoor conditions , keep growing your seedlings indoors in a bright , indirectly light up emplacement for at least two class prior to transplanting .
Keep the growing media moist all the while , and repot them when there is less than an column inch or two of space between the develop bulb and the side of the container .
Via Bulb Offsets
Aztec lily bulbs uprise kickoff , which eventually raise Modern shoots and root word .
As more starting time are produce , the blossom , leaves , and stem on the parent bulb do n’t develop as large , and the specimen can become cramped in its growing site , whether outside in the garden or in a pot .
Separating offsets from the mother bulb alleviates these way out , and even yield more works .
However , the drawback of this is that they do n’t like being disturb and may not flower for a while after partition . But hey , at least you ’ll eventually have more Aztec lilies !
To separate , wait for the leafage to die back in fall before lifting the plant from its grow site or removing it from the container .
Brush off the dirt from the bulb and roots so you could see what you ’re working with , then snap or pull aside the offset by hand .
Plant each cancel two inches abstruse in its own six - in container of well - draining , yet wet - hold back medium .
Water the medium , target the containers in shiny , collateral light , and care for the offsets like you would seedling until the incandescent lamp is large enough to graft .
Via Bulbs
If you ’re in Zones 8 to 11 , you ’ll need to constitute your bulb in declivity at least six – rather eight – weeks before the first hoarfrost . For flora acquire as annuals in cold geographical zone , implant the bulb in spring after the net frost date .
For grow Aztec lilies in - ground , cook patches of deep , racy , and well - draining sandlike loam dirt with a pH of 7.0 to 7.8 in a full sunshine locating . You might wish toconduct a grunge testto baulk if any amendments are need .
If you ’re working with clayey , acidulous , and/or barren soil , you ’ll have to amend it with some coarsely textured grit , limestone , and/or humus , respectively .
Plant each bulb four inches deep , basal plate down , and space them eight to 12 column inch apart . Water them in well .
If you want to uprise your Aztec lilies in containers , prepare a six - in - wide , eight - inch - deep container with drain holes for each electric light .
you may also put multiple bulbs in containers larger than that , as long as they ’re spaced at least four inches apart – this ’ll provide the shoots to help each other stay vertical .
Fill your chosen container with a well - draining , yet wet - retaining medium , such as a 50:50 mix of perlite and coconut coir . Plant the backside of the bulbs four inches thick , cover them with media , then piddle in well .
Bulbs for containerized houseplants can be plant whenever you ’d like .
How to Grow Aztec Lilies
Now that you ’ve got bulbs in the earth or in your containers and Aztec lily a - growin ’ , permit ’s learn how to good care for them !
Climate and Exposure Needs
Just a reminder : Aztec lily need to be grown inUSDA Hardiness Zones8 to 11 to control their class - round survival outside .
S. formosissimahouseplants should n’t take thermostat alterations . If the temperature is easy for you , then it ’s comfortable for them !
Light - wise , full sun exposure is ideal , although fond sun is also acceptable in peculiarly warm climate .
Aztec lilies grown as houseplant should receive as much Inner Light as possible – spots near south- or eastward - facing windows are perfect .
Soil Needs
The idealistic soil forS. formosissimais well - draining , fertile , and neutral to slenderly alkaline . ply an organically rich , sandlike loam with a pH of 7.0 to 7.8 , and you ’re golden .
Every class in spring , work a one- to two - inch layer of compost or well - molder manure into your planting bottom , being careful to not disturb the bulbs .
Water and Fertilizer Needs
Aztec lily love even moisture during the growing season , so be sure to water the plants deeply whenever the top in or two of soil feels dry . During winter quiescence , stop watering entirely .
For both houseplants and outdoor specimens , monthly software of a balanced plant food will help to maximise blooms . And just like with tearing , give up impregnation during wintertime dormancy .
Bonide Liquid Plant Food
Indoor plants would do well with Bonide ’s 10 - 10 - 10 liquid works intellectual nourishment , uncommitted via Walmart .
Southern Ag Granular Fertilizer
For outside specimens , strain this granular 10 - 10 - 10 fertiliser from Southern Ag , uncommitted at Amazon .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
As the plant gear up to go torpid in crepuscle , its foliation will die back – be sure to trim this off after it has turn brown and sear .
During the growing season , remove any leaves that appear damage or diseased . you could also snip away flowers as they fade , if you ’re not essay to harvest the seeds .
After about three to four years , your Aztec lily will likely begin to outgrow its container or planting site . You ’ll need to repot container - grow specimens and dig up and divide outdoor - grown clump .
In - footing bulbs in USDA Zones 8 to 11 can stay immerse for the winter . shroud the ground with a couple of inch of mulch , and they ’ll be well - insulated during temperature dip .
Bulbs growing in climate colder than Zone 8 will need to be lifted once the foliage dies back in fall , before the first hoar .
pilfer the bulbs by sticking a coon , trowel , or gardening fork into the ground contiguous to the bulbs , then pushing the handle down to unearth the bulb and surrounding soil .
Dispose of any damage , bathetic , discolored , or otherwise unhealthy - look medulla oblongata .
houseclean the healthy lifted electric light , cut off any remaining base tissue an in above each bulb , and trim off any root .
grade them on a paper - lined tray in a dark , well - ventilate lieu with ambient temperatures of 60 to 70 ° F to heal . Keep them there for one to three weeks until they ’ve dry out .
Place the cured incandescent lamp in newspaper or meshing baggies , then store them in a dark , dry place at 40 to 50 ° F until it ’s clip to set them again the next springtime .
Where to Buy
As a not - too - unwashed bulb , the Aztec lily may be a bit tough to regain than , say , atulipordaffodil .
To start , I ’d recommend that you browse works workshop , online vendors , and catalogs that specialize in ornamental bloom bulbs .
If you do n’t find any leads there , you’re able to always look for Peter Sellers that specialise in southern plant life , asS. formosissimais a southern gardening deary .
Plant swaps and horticultural show are okay places to look , too . And do n’t blank out to ask your gardening champion for spare bulbs , offsets , or seeds !
You may amount across ‘ Oriental Red , ’ a robust cultivar that blooms prolifically during the farm time of year .
Managing Pests and Disease
For the most part , you wo n’t have to worry about many pests and disease . But there are in spades some you should be cognisant of .
And do n’t forget – the best form of preventive plant wellness fear is cultivating your specimen in good order .
Pests
Let ’s go over a match of annoying pests that can damage your plant : mealybugs , and slug and snail .
Covered with a white and mealy wax , mealybugs are small , segment bugs that be given to congregate in fissure , on folio underside , and at other inconspicuous , punishing - to - maculation location on the plant .
Feeding with piercing - nurse mouthparts , these pests take out fluids from industrial plant tissues , which can make chlorosis , stunted growing , dieback , and even institute death .
They also produce honeydew melon as they feed , which can attract ants and top to the organisation ofblack sooty mold .
hard spraying of water can knock mealybugs off of plants , while sprays of horticultural oil can kill them .
Out in the landscape painting , innate enemy like parasitic WASP and ladybugs help keep mealybug populations down .
Infestations on houseplants are easily treat with dabs of a 70:30 resolution of isopropyl alcohol and water , severally .
Monterey Horticultural Oil
Monterey sells read - to - spray and concentrated forms of horticultural oilat Arbico Organics .
you may watch more about how to manage mealy bug here .
Shelless or shelled , it matters not … both slugs and snails can be a tangible infliction .
move around on a mesomorphic , oozing “ foot , ” these mollusks employ their rasping tongues to take on an irregular basis - form , yet smooth - edge feeding holes out of plant tissues , which really saps a flora ’s wellness . Plus , they leave nasty slime trails in their wake .
If your plants have a slug or escargot job , you may go out at nighttime with a torch to pick them off plants by hand and cast out of them .
It also help to weed your garden , clean house up works detritus , and egest other spot where punch and escargot can hide out during the Clarence Day .
swig and Snail Traps
Alternatively , these fictile beer trapsfrom Gardener ’s Supply Companycan do slug- and snail - catching for you .
Learn more about dealing with slugs and snails in our guide .
Disease
Pathogens easy hitch a drive in contaminated soils and on unsanitized garden tools , so check that to frequently sterilize your horticulture tools and expend pathogen - free soils .
induce by the fungusDidymella curtisii , narcissus folio singe results in ruby - browned scorching and spotting on the leaf . As the disease progresses , the leaf turns lily-livered and brown before die .
These symptoms also hap in prime and on flower stalk , which isno bueno .
live between medulla scales and in old leaf debris , the fungus spreads via fruiting bodies , specially in pie-eyed and humid conditions .
septic leaf and bloom should be move out ASAP , while severely infect specimens should be dug up and pitched .
To prevent this disease from the get - go , dispose of folio detritus before it accumulates , and always store medulla oblongata at proper temperatures .
Whether triggered by pathogens or strictly an abiotic issue , base putrefaction begin when plants sit in oversaturated soils .
When roots are deprived of oxygen for too long , they fundamentally suffocate , become necrotic , and die . As a result , the bulb does n’t receive the alimentation it needs and bunkum , and the shoot above the ground line wilting and fail back .
To forestall root rot , notoverwatering is essential … and toalleviateroot rot , you muststopoverwatering , ASAP .
To help out a badly root - waste plant , dig it up and withdraw any necrotic roots . If more than one-half of the roots and/or more than half of the electric-light bulb is rotted , then the specimen is probably toast .
Best Uses for Aztec Lilies
A igneous - hot beauty like the Aztec lily has many aesthetic applications .
It dazzle anywhere a pretty blossom is needed , but it ’s peculiarly awesome as an in - ground floral exhibit , a delimitation planting , a container specimen , and an addition to rock or alpine gardens .
And although it ’ll go through a brief dormancy period , it ’s also a peach as an indoor houseplant .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Don’t Be Silly… Grow Some Aztec Lily!
If you have the opportunity to growS. formosissima , you definitely should . Carpe diem , as the go - getting Romans were fond of saying !
With some Aztec lily in the garden , your landscape will look absolutely stunning ! Same thing goes for your home , if you go the indoor container route .
And for more information aboutgrowing flower from the Amaryllidaceae family , try these template on for size next :
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About
Joe Butler
