Haemanthus Deformis Care

Haemanthus Deformis Care

It is considered to be one of the easiest of all the Haemanthus species to grow. It requires a dappled shade position and likes to remain undisturbed for many years once established. The soil must be well aerated. A suggested medium is equal parts of well-rotted compost, coarse river sand, and loam. Plant the greenish bulbs with the upper half exposed, and the thick fleshy roots spread out horizontally over the soil.

It also makes an excellent subject for plastic or terracotta containers, and these need not be deep as the roots naturally spread out horizontally. Pots of Paint Brush can be grown very successfully on a shady veranda, and it is also suitable as an indoor plant where it should be placed in a position receiving dappled light but not direct sunlight. Plants like to become pot-bound, and mature bulbs flower reliably every year and only need to be divided every 7 or 8 years when flowering performance starts to diminish. However, paint Brush is not hardy and has to be grown under the protection of the cool greenhouse in countries with very cold winter conditions.

Haemanthus deformis is an evergreen bulbous plant with thick fleshy roots. This specie typically has broad green leaves that sprawl out flat along the soil level. The leaves are generally thick with a hairy surface. As the plant develops, the old set of leaves withers and dies as new leaves emerge. When in bloom, the flower is comprised of a dense cluster of white individual flowers with white filaments and bright yellow anthers. The flowers are enclosed by broad, strong white bracts that are distinctly recurved in the upper part. The fruit is a fleshy, dark orange berry containing a few hard, oblong seeds. 

Haemanthus deformis has a limited distribution in the northeastern parts of the Eastern Cape (in the former Transkei ) and in the coastal and Midland areas of KwaZulu-Natal. It grows in moist, shaded conditions amongst bushy undergrowth or between rocks on shady slopes. This specie likes moisture throughout the year, especially in summer, but less during the winter months. It is sensitive to frost but can tolerate cold temperatures reaching down to the 40's in Fahrenheit.

Haemanthus is an entirely southern African genus of some 22 species. It has a true bulb as its storage organ and is endemic to South Africa, the southern and southwestern parts of Namibia, and the mountain kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland. All its members are deciduous with the exception of three evergreen species, H. albiflos from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, H. deformis, and H. pauculifolius from the Mpumalanga Escarpment. H. coccineus is without doubt the most recognizable member of the genus to residents of the Western Cape, with H. sanguineus a close second; both are widely known as April fool lilies here, for their tendency to bloom around 1 April following early autumn rains.

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