Amaryllis belladonna L.
belladonna lily, March lily · Maartblom, Maartlelie (Afr.)
Photo: AVNPlants
Cape bulb whose bare stems of scented pink or white trumpets appear in late summer, before the leaves.
What’s in the name: Amaryllis: named after a shepherdess in classical Greek and Roman poetry; belladonna: Italian for "beautiful lady".
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV), The King James Version of the Bible (Project Gutenberg)
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
South-western Cape.
Size & form
Large, rounded brown bulb. Flower stems rise about 50 cm, purplish-red and green, topped by a cluster of trumpet-shaped flowers roughly 10 cm long.
Flowering
Late summer: mainly February to March, nowadays sometimes starting as early as January. It's called the March lily because it usually flowers in March.
Care notes
Grows from seed: sow the fleshy seeds while they are still fresh. In nature the seed is shed with the first autumn rains (late March–April).
From the grower
Fire definitely stimulates more flowering. In the Cape, January and February are dry; if the bulbs haven't started flowering, one or two deep waterings then can help get them going. Don't keep them wet all summer, though, as constantly wet bulbs will rot. Watch out for lily borer caterpillars. The moths lay eggs on the flowers, and the caterpillars first eat the flowers and soft seeds, then crawl down the hollow flower stems and can decimate the bulbs. Check flowers regularly and act early.
Wildlife value
Pollinator still uncertain; hawk moths have been suggested and carpenter bees visit by day.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Amaryllis belladonna'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Amaryllis belladonna L. (assessment 2004/06/30).