Shade tolerant amaryllids

steven hart hartsentwine.australia@gmail.com
Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:56:48 PST
Hi Mark, even here in Queensland Australia where they are endemic, they are
becoming very rare due to habitat loss, they prefer open sclerophyll
eucalyptus forest & small dry rain forest patches in remnant forests, at
the brighter edges, but often on southern sides of mountains where it is
cooler. They are mostly extinct in the areas where they were prominently
growing, when settlers arrived in sailing ships, noted around the Breakfast
Creek ports & forests surrounding the Brisbane area.. They soon disappeared
to small crop farming & expansion of development & are buried now under sky
scrapers & bitumen..The only survivors live in very small numbers in
scattered little groups, in remnant forests out side Brisbane.. It is not a
commercial species & rarely offered for sale.. Occasionally I see bulbs on
eBay at very good prices from people who don't know its rare value, but is
from nursery stock & some less desirable nurseries experimented in the 80s,
growing them but through careless cross contamination introduced virus &
bacterial trouble caught from growing beside diseased Eucharis lilies, a
very silly & careless mistake with a threatened species...

I do have wild stock, because it is a native on my property, I took some
seeds & grew those on & now produce my own small numbers of seed each year
with out disturbing my wild bulbs in the bush..

I've done successful experiments with seed drying over 7month &
successfully germinated almost all by soaking for long periods, regularly
renewing the water.. I've had good success in pots, in standard premium
potting mixes & garden culture.. Eventually I want to tissue culture & help
its protection through a commercial release & home gardener conservation..
It is a rare non commercial species here because it is not well known &
very hard to access bulbs...

I have sold seeds to USA, China & Europe & they are growing successfully...

So ill put you in my seed swappers list & try to remember to send u some
seeds & will also try to remember to list them as flowering on PBS so you
might see them & remind me you would like some seeds... So don't forget to
remind me :-)) ????

They are easy to grow & are frost & drought tolerant.
Happy Gardening
Steven
Esk QLD Australia



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