amaryllis belladonna or "naked lady" bulbs

​In one of the more neglected patches of my garden, I have a number of amaryllis belladonna or naked lady bulbs.  These bulbs may not be known to all flower gardeners.  They are called “naked ladies” because the bulb stems have no leaves, hence them being naked.  Every March, they spring up, reminding me of their presence.  I’m very lucky that other gardeners gave them to be because they are incredibly expensive to buy.  My cousin Shireen gave me a white bulb that someone from her work gave her.  A lady that belongs to a garden club I used to go to gave me a number of pink bulbs, which are the more traditional variety.

This week, we have a wwoofer from Germany, Veronika, who is arriving.  Once she is settled in, I’m going to get her to help me divide the bulbs.  After being in the same place for around five years, the bulbs are starting to get a bit congested and are not flowering as well.  The ground is very hard and often has grass growing over it, so once the bulbs are dug out, we’ll add some compost and fertiliser to the area, dig it over and then separate the bulbs and replant them, with better spacing between them.

I’ve put together some facts about amaryllis belladonna or naked lady bulbs, taken from this site

• The Amaryllis belladonna is native to the South Western Cape of South Africa
• Each bulb is 5–10 cm in diameter. It has several strap-shaped, green leaves, 30–50 cm long and 2–3 cm broad, arranged in two rows
• The leaves are produced in the autumn or early spring in warm climates depending on the onset of rain and eventually die down by late spring. The bulb is then dormant until late summer
• The plant is not frost tolerant, nor does it do well in tropical climates since they require a dry resting period between leaf growth and flower spike production.
• The large clusters of scented, trumpet-shaped pink or white flowers are carried on a long purplish-red and green stem appearing 50cm above the soil
• The strap-like leaves are deciduous and are produced after flowering, remaining green throughout the winter, producing starch, which is stored in the bulb.  In summer the leaves die back and the bulb becomes fully dormant
• The belladonna lily's specific flowering time is late summer

​Planting tips

• Choose a sunny, free draining site
• Mix compost, sheep pellets and fertiliser into the soil prior to planting
• Unlike other bulbs, the amaryllis belladonna should not be completely buried under the soil.  Plant the bulb as you would a hippeastrum, keeping the neck of the bulb above the soil
• Prior to planting, mix in a little bulb fertiliser into the soil to promote strong growth and flowering
• Once the bulb has finished flowering, let it die down naturally.  I tend to leave my bulbs undisturbed, and they come up year after
• Divide bulbs when you see them becoming crowded.  For me, this occurred after about five years
• If you have extra bulbs, you may like to share them with gardening friends or family, as my cousin Shireen did with me