About Haemanthus albiflos Jacq.
The scientific name of this plant is Haemanthus albiflos Jacq. The upper half of its bulb is typically exposed and bright green. It produces one pair of leaves once per year and is evergreen, so mature plants can have up to three pairs of leaves. Its leaves reach up to 40 cm (16 in) in length, may be covered in short, soft hairs, and occasionally develop yellow spots on the upper surface. In late autumn and winter, stout stems bear brush-like umbels made up of many small white florets. After flowering, it produces fleshy red oval fruits that contain white seeds. The entire plant grows to 20–30 cm (8–12 in) tall and 15 cm (6 in) wide. For cultivation, H. albiflos is hardy to temperatures around 1 °C (34 °F), but cannot survive prolonged freezing. In regions where it is too tender for outdoor growth, it is a very successful indoor plant that thrives with "healthy neglect". It prefers not to be grown in full sun, is highly tolerant of underwatering, and produces more flowers when its roots are restricted in a small pot. This plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
