Two cousins in the Amaryllis family are the genus lycoris and nerine. While most lycoris (China/Japan) thrive here, the same is not true of their South African cousins, nerine. It’s been rather frustrating trying to find the same season-ending success with nerines, as we have with the summer flowering lycoris.
Consequently, we’re celebrating over the performance of Nerine angustifolia. We picked up this gem from a South African nursery several years ago, and despite it being native to swampy grasslands, it has thrived for us in the unirrigated, dry berms that lead to our parking lot. Here it is in its full splendor this fall. We think this has immense horticultural potential.
Oh lovely!! So envious of British gardeners this time of year with their nerine photos.
Have the nerines been cross bred with lycoris?
We couldn’t find where anyone had been successful, so we tried it ourselves this year, and didn’t have any success. Genetically, they aren’t nearly as close as they appear.