Cyrtanthus

Cyrtanthus is a genus of about 60 species of which about 50 are found in South Africa. Their habitat ranges from cliff faces to forests, down to coastal dunes and the dry Karoo and some are even found in the lofty Drakensberg Mountains.

We have shied away from advertising the more difficult to grow species. All the C. mackenii/macowanii complex species do best in partial shade and are frost-tender. Plant in well-draining soil and bury the bulbs up to their necks. Water well in spring and summer. If dug up and allowed to partially dry out after flowering, they will return to flowering about 6 weeks later. Do not do this more than once per annum as the stress can kill off your bulbs.

Of all the Cyrtanthus listed below, only C. obliquus and speciosus do not need shade, plenty of water and rich compost soil. Both need to dry out between waterings, need coarse sandy soil and need to be planted partially exposed. In Natal, all the Cyrtanthus listed below are evergreen, but you should still allow the water intake to decrease in winter without letting the bulbs completely dry.

The Green Goblin breeding programme is trying (and succeeding) in developing Cyrtanthus clones and hybrids that are not difficult to grow and maintain. Far too many people are conned into buying a pretty bulb that has been stimulated into coming into bud. The average home does not have the facilities to induce a second crop of flowers. We shy away from such practices. If a bulb cannot flower under normal garden conditions, we have refrained from offering it. This way we are confident that you will have years of flowering pleasure and our reputation will remain intact.

After trying our Cyrtanthus range we know you will want to stock the entire spectrum of colours and shapes.