Nerine

Nerine: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Bulb of 40–50 cm tall and about 15 cm wide that slowly builds into a dense clump.

Leaves

Strap-shaped, glossy green, 20–30 cm long, growing straight from the bulb.

Flower

Heads of up to about ten trumpet-shaped flowers with narrow, wavy, curled-back petals, on a bare stem.

Colour

Bright pink with a darker central stripe; white and deep pink forms also exist.

Bulb

Large, elongated bulb with a long neck, which you leave just above soil level.

Flowering: September–November · Plants: April–May

Why grow it?

• Flowers in September–November, when most summer flowers are over.
• A superb cut flower that lasts a long time in the vase.
• Almost indestructible in a warm, dry spot: little water and little work.
• The older and fuller the clump, the more flowers it gives.
• An exotic look, yet hardy to about −10 °C.
• Also lovely in a pot on a sunny patio.

Nerine: where does it grow best?

• Full sun, ideally at the foot of a south-facing wall or warm house front, where the bulbs warm up well in summer.
• Light, free-draining soil: sand or loam, neutral to chalky. On clay only in a raised bed or with plenty of grit.
• Dry to moderately moist: wet soil in winter makes the bulbs rot.
• A sheltered corner protects the late flowers from autumn gales.
• Allow 10–15 cm between bulbs and let them build up into dense clumps.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.15 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -10 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Ice plant (sedum): Flowers at the same time, attracts bees and likes the same dry, sunny spot.
• Feather grass: Airy, swaying plumes around the bare flower stems.
• Lavender: Grey, scented foliage as a backdrop in a warm, dry spot.
• African lily: Also from South Africa, flowering in summer before the nerine.

Nerine: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, once the soil has warmed up, in the sunniest spot in the garden.
2. Loosen the soil and, on heavy ground, work in plenty of coarse sand or grit for good drainage.
3. Set the bulbs so that the neck sticks out just above the soil; never plant them deeper.
4. Leave 10–15 cm between bulbs: they flower best when crowded.
5. Firm the soil and water once; after that only in a long dry spell.
6. In a pot: choose a fairly small pot with free-draining compost mixed with grit, and set the bulbs close together.

Care

Water

Rarely needed in the ground, only in long dry spells in spring and summer. In a pot, water moderately while the leaves are growing; keep almost dry in winter.

Feeding

In spring, while the leaves are growing, give a high-potash feed such as tomato feed a few times. No high-nitrogen feed: it gives leaves instead of flowers.

Mulching

No wet mulch against the bulbs. In winter, though, a loose layer of dry leaves or straw protects against frost.

Spent flowers

Cut faded stems off at the base, unless you want to collect seed. Leave the leaves until they die back naturally.

Repotting

Rarely: it flowers best when pot-bound. Only repot when the bulbs fill the whole pot and flowering declines.

Tip: Leave the clumps undisturbed for years. Only divide them when they are so crowded that flowering declines, and replant the bulbs straight away with the necks above the soil.

Nerine: when to prune it?

When: Nerine needs no pruning. You simply cut off the faded flower stems and clear away dead leaves.

How:

• Cut faded flower stems off at the base in October–November, unless you want to collect seed.
• Leave the leaves until they turn yellow and come away easily: this is how the bulb builds up its reserves.
• For the vase, cut when the first flowers in the head open; the rest will follow in water.

Caution: Never cut off green leaves: it will flower less the following year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

Every four or five years, when the clump is so crowded that flowering declines: lift it in April–May, separate the offsets and replant them straight away with the necks above the soil.

Seed

Sow the green, fleshy seeds as soon as they ripen in autumn on moist, sandy seed compost and keep them frost-free. It takes several years before seedlings flower.

Nerine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Hardy to about −10 °C, as long as the soil does not stay wet in winter.
• In cold areas or severe winters, cover the bulbs with a layer of dry leaves, straw or conifer branches.
• In a pot the rootball freezes more quickly: move the pot to a cool, frost-free place, or wrap it and stand it in a dry spot against a wall.
• Keep pots almost dry in winter.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: They eat young leaves and flower buds. Pick them off in the evening, or lay down a board as a hiding place and clear it in the morning.
• Narcissus fly: The grub eats the bulb from the inside: it turns soft and no longer sprouts. Throw away affected bulbs and firm the soil well around the necks.
• Mealybug: White, woolly tufts between the leaf bases, mostly on potted plants. Wipe them off with a brush or cotton bud and keep the plant cooler.
• Bulb rot: Bulbs turn soft and smell bad in heavy, wet soil. Plant in a drier, free-draining spot and do not water in winter.
• No flowers: Planted too deep, too little sun or recently moved. Set the bulbs with their necks above the soil in full sun and be patient: after moving, it often flowers less for a year.

Through the year

• January: Rest. In hard frost, a dry layer of straw or leaves over the bulbs.
• March: Remove the winter mulch. Put pots back outside once hard frost is over.
• April: Plant with the necks above the soil. High-potash feed while the leaves grow.
• May: Plant. Watch for slugs on young leaves. Divide overcrowded clumps.
• June: Leave the foliage. Do not disturb the clumps.
• July: Water pots moderately in a long dry spell. No nitrogen feed.
• September: Flowering begins. Cut stems for the vase when the first flowers open.
• October: Full flower. Cut faded stems off at the base.
• November: Last flowers. Apply a dry winter mulch; move pots somewhere frost-free or against a wall.
• December: Rest. Keep pots dry and frost-free.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Belladonna lily, crinum, nerine, Aztec lily (sprekelia) and winter daffodil (sternbergia) belong to the daffodil family and, like daffodils, are poisonous in all their parts, especially the bulbs: they contain alkaloids such as lycorine, which cause vomiting, drooling, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs, cats and grazing animals. The bulbs look like onions or shallots but do not smell of onion when cut: never store them with the kitchen onions, not even the bulbs you keep dry over winter, such as sprekelia, and label them. The sap can irritate the skin: wear gloves when planting, dividing and cutting flower stems, and wash your hands afterwards. Keep a vase of nerines or belladonna lilies out of reach of cats, and call your vet if your dog or cat has chewed a bulb. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The genus name refers to the Nereids, the sea nymphs of Greek mythology.
• A close relative, Nerine sarniensis, is known as the Guernsey lily: according to legend, its bulbs washed ashore on Guernsey after a shipwreck.
• The species name bowdenii honours Cornish-Bowden, who sent the bulbs from South Africa to England.