Ungernia is a small genus with 10 species from the Middle East and Central Asia in the Amaryllidaceae family. The closest relative is the genus Lycoris. Ungernia come from both mild and cold temperate areas. Although the plants resemble Lycoris the seeds are black and flattened, much like Hippeastrum seeds and not like the hard, black, rounded seeds of Lycoris. The bulbs do not replace their basal plate and thus result in a build-up which reportedly can be as long as half a meter (19 inches) (Plant Life, 1970 p. 178). Ungernia oligostroma has the smallest bulbs in the genus. These are about 2 cm across and the largest is 13 cm long. The largest bulbs are found in U. trisphera with some up to 12 cm (nearly 5 inches) in diameter! Most species have bulbs in the 5-7 cm diameter (2-3 inch) range of size. The bulbs should be planted in a deep pot and given plenty of water during spring growth and more restricted in mid-summer to fall. They should be exposed to cold temperatures during winter. Snow might provide cover for most species, although deep freezing may kill the bulbs in pots. Seeds are notorious for difficult germination and even if they do germinate, few growers have managed to keep the seedligs alive. The bulbs take a long time to mature from seeds.
Ungernia sewerzowii (sometimes misspelled as Ungernia severtzovii) comes from central Asia. The book Rix & Phillips Bulbs, 1989 reports that the bulbs do not bloom after a hot summer.
Ungernia sp. (possibly Ungernia oligostroma) from Tadjikistan. Photo by James Waddick.
