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birdsnblooms

Anyone grow Amazon Lily?

birdsnblooms
12 years ago

I got a free Amazon Lily/Eucharis x grandiflora in 1995. Leaves are fine, but this plant has NEVER bloomed.

I Googled, but didn't find much info, besides, if someone here has one, I'd prefer hearing their technique.

I've tried allowing soil to dry completely, keeping moist, different windows, with and without artificial light. Still no blooms. Bulbs are in a shallow conttainer.

I read it's a winter bloomer, but too many winters have gone by w/o a single flower.

I hope someone has this bulb plant and plenty of information. Thank much, Toni

Comments (67)

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I also have a Eucharis (grandiflora) that I've had for many years. Started with 1 bulb in 2001 and now my 18in bowl is overflowing. Below is a link to an old blog post of mine with a blooming period in 2009. (The plant is bigger now!) It was the most recent post I could find, but mine blooms twice per year, once in Oct-Nov and again in March-April. It usually has about 10-15 spikes in the past few years, but sometimes only 3 or 4.

    In the blog post, you can see where I keep it: right in front of a floor to ceiling SW facing window. On days above 86, I close the blinds, but we only have about 14 of those days per year. They are shade plants outside, but definitely can take a good amount of sun inside.

    Bulbs are buried rather deep and are the size of large tangerines. Don't disturb the roots very often as they are pretty sensitive. I carelessly repotted in 2004 as if they were any old bulbs and it took 2 years to really recover.

    I fertilize quite often with 16-16-16 in summer and orchid feed in the winter, since that's what everything else gets. I do let the bulbs dry a little before blooming season, more out of habit than evidence for success.

    Here in Portland, we have very low summer humidity, and the Eucharis isn't affected. The windows are open all summer and closed as soon as temps are cool. I heat the sunroom to 55F in winter, and sunny days raise the temp to 75.

    I find their fragrance very fresh, like a sweet lettuce flavor.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Eucharis in bloom

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Horseinaround

    You can post a single photo just by using "Image file to upload (optional)" feature when you posting a follow-up message (it is on very top).

    If you like to learn how to post multiple photos, you need to have them first on lets say Photobucket (image hosting site-free). Rosemarie from this forum posted excellent info how to do it. I can't remember exact thread, but I have copied it & can post it or send it to you if you like.

    Rina

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Nankeen:

    Thanks for sharing pictures of your plant. Mine is similar in size "for what yours was back then" but not quite as many leaves. Mine gets about 3 hours of direct sun daily in its south facing window because of an overhang on my house but like your plant, is near a very tall window and is full south facing. I keep some of my cattleya orchids on a shelf in front of it however so that is why my lily is kept back away from the window.

    The man I got my bulbs from kept his on an inside wall and while it did loose a number of lower leaves in winter, it still survived quite well. In summer he kept it in the shade on his deck and just took a water hose to it every morning and his was also bigger than mine and the leaves a slightly deeper green. They do seem to really LOVE water. I know he never fertilized it but his did not bloom like mine does either.

    These are such an easy plant. Mine seems to bloom in Feb. - March and again this time of year normally but won't this year now since I re-potted it. I think the cold has a lot to do with why mine blooms when it does. Temps. drop off sharply this time of year.

    We had horses so we composted a lot. I used aged compost in the bottom of this new pot above the Styrofoam and put some orchid soil around the sides that I did not like for my orchids. I wonder how it will do now.....HMMMM

    One way or another these are all giant, easy care lilies but do need space. I saw a miniature version of it in pacificbulbsociety.org

    I hated re-potting mine yesterday but had no choice because the pot broke. It had been hit by a falling limb the year before when outside and I think the pot just finally gave out. It was unbelievably pot-bound as well. I've had the same observation as you otherwise,it does take a long time for them to recover after re-potting.

    Mine is now in a heavy plastic pot and likely where it will remain as it is just too big for my little house. I thought about making it two plants eventually. We are looking at buying a new home further north so that will determine what I do with my monster eventually. One way or another, they are an incredibly beautiful plant and when they bloom, the flower scents are wonderfully, gently sweet.

    The two hibiscus bushes I have need to get the best windows in the house for now.

    I like your adorable dog friend.....too cute LOL

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Rina:

    I'll give that a shot as I would like to share. My plant doesn't look too great right now due to the pot breakage/letting go very dry/re-potting trauma it has been through lately. The pot had a huge U-shaped chunk taken out of it on one entire side. The letting it go extra dry thing was necessary as we keep the plant on the second floor of our home. We are getting on in years and are small people to begin with so I had to "lighten the load" in order to get it to the downstairs porch for re-potting. The leaves are kind-of all over the place at the moment LOL.

    This week is really busy for me as I have a heavy work load and commute to Jersey every day but next week I should have a lot more time. Hopefully by then the plant will have had a little time to recoup. The soil and compost I used is high in nitrogen so maybe I'll give it a little blooming fertilizer (which is comparatively low in nitrogen) and see if that gives it a little boost.

    Thanks for the tip.

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Horseinaround,

    Here are instructions on posting multiple photos - I am just posting what ROSEMARIE (rosemariero6) wrote - I find theses easy to follow:
    (PB = photobucket; you can use other hosting sites but I am not familiar with others)

    Okay~Go to your PB album.
    1) Hover over a pic you want to include & mark the box directly beneath the pic. Go to the next pic, repeat & so on~till you have selected the ones you want. If you are going to do ALL the pix in the album, you can skip this part.
    2) Scroll down to bottom of page (here you can check box to Select All-if that is what you want) Click on Choose action.
    3) From drop down menu, select "Generate link codes for selected"
    4) Code link page shows up: select 1st section "Clickable thumbnails" (if will briefly show the word "copied"-then fade)
    5) Go back to tab for GW
    6) Insert what you copied into your post (or your reply) by right-clicking mouse to Paste
    7) I change the code so it does not put just one pic per line. I have found that 4 thumbnails across works best. (You will probably Preview Message many times before clicking the Submit button)
    8) First, I highlight & delete the code for centering at the beginning & the end of the group pic urls. (left arrow center right arrow ~ and the end code has a forward slash in it) You can leave it if you want-I'm not sure what it looks like with blocks like these. I forget. :) Taking it out lines up photos to the left edge.
    9) The way you get one pic next to another: at the end of each pic url (which is indicated by a left arrow, a forward slash, an 'a', & a right arrow) Looks like the following without the spacing I put in: ...you place your cursor after the right arrow, then click space bar once & delete button once. You can go Preview Message to see if it worked, but when back to make corrections, it's sometimes tricky to find your place/where you left off. LOL
    10) Repeat the space/delete sequence after 2 more photo urls. (You will get good at counting photo urls to figure out where you are.)
    11) After 4th pic url, you want to make a line space (to separate the rows), so hit Enter key twice.
    12) Now on to the next block (row) of pix, if there are more...go back to 9) and do again.
    13) It's up to you how many you have in a row. Just Preview Message to check everything before you Submit! You might have gotten 3 in the row instead of 4 & have to go back to adjust. It's good to make note of which pic is out of whack -if named- to find the url with that name to change spacing, etc.
    If you have really short filenames, this will be much easier than when I do it, as mine are very long, making it more fun finding the end of the urls! Also, if you have a free acct, PB sticks an additional blurb in the urls to take folks to pages with advertising. You can delete this if it's there, but I think I'd confuse more if I tried to explain.
    Remember... EACH time you make a change, you have to click the Preview Message button or the change will not be made when you click on Submit Message.
    If you goof on something, you can always go back~restart or recopy. It just take a bit more time...if you have it! Once you've done it a few times, it'll be a cinch!

    You may have older photos, or maybe photos of other plants to post...Rina

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is super Rosemarie. I really thank you so much. I would like to share my pictures. What is even more-so is that to see my plant now, even though it shows what all it has been through recently, that is nothing compared to what it went through last year about this same time which is even all the more reason why I want to share my pictures.

    If you go to YouTube and type a search for the Tobyhanna,Hail Storm, it was just one year ago my plant went through this two hour long, blinding hail storm you will see videoed. The plant I plan to show you survived that hail storm but there wasn't a leaf on it that was not totally shredded. The plant, as were my two hibiscus bushes were totally destroyed...... or so I thought.

    While I was able to get in most my smaller plants, the bigger ones which are kept in an area far away from the house, had to ride out this wild storm Aug. 19th, 2011. The hail just kept coming, fast and furious as you will see for yourself if you visit YouTube. This plant was a survivor and to see it now.........

    Thanks So Much Once Again.

  • plantmasterm
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Horseinaround, welcome..thank you for sharing all that valuable information, I've been looking for one of these forever..nice of your friend to share a rare plant with you like that..pls post your pics soon..nankeen, simply beautiful..where would I find these bulbs, like I was saying earlier I've wanted this plant for over 25 hrs. had actually forgotten about it until I saw this post..keep up the good work because obviously your plants love you & their environment.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another great photo Nankeen:

    You have a super plant and are obviously doing a great job with it. Mine was never quite as full as yours but was far more full than it is now. It has never quite recovered from that hail storm to its old glory.

    I was telling my husband that we would have to stage the plant in order to get the best pictures and try to get some real measurements off it. Right now it is pretty floppy due to the transplant so an honest measurement would not be obtainable at the moment. I'll put it by a double door opening to my deck when I take the pictures so people can get a real feel for its size.

    As far as plantmasterm goes, I wonder if you are close to where plant shows are held or if you can order a few bulbs from a nursery? The problem is, as Nankeen pointed out, once planted, these plants do not do well if they are disturbed, their root systems are very sensitive. I thank you for your post and wish you well in finding one of these great beauties of your own. Maybe someone on the forum is getting ready to re-pot??? Like Nankeen said however, they really do not like their roots disturbed.

    While I too have never had a problem with insect infestations, I have read that they are most prone to mealy bugs. I am also thinking about trying potassium to give my plant a boost. I know they like that too.

    It was kind of sad yesterday seeing Nankeen's plant, although I am grateful for his sharing, I do miss what my plant use to be like. It has never come back quite as full as it use to be and I have only once had it flower since the hail storm and only got like 6 flower spikes.

    Good Luck Plantmasterm in finding that perfect new addition to your home.

  • birdsnblooms
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Horsingaround. Thanks for all the information. You really take care of your plant..

    Got my AL in 1995 when I was employeed at a plant store.
    So, technically, bulbs are 17-yrs old.

    Summer in IL is usually very humid. Winter is a problem, though.
    During winter, I keep two humidifers, an indoor fountain, running, mist plants daily and shower periodically.

    Two points I'm unclear about are light and pot size.

    During winter, AL is placed before a west window, in addition to a little artifical light at night.

    Pot size. My bulbs have been in a bulb pot, 'shallow,' since it was first brought home. It was repotted once in a larger pot, that too is shallow, but a wider diameter.

    Would you happen to know if there's such a plant as a mini AL? lol. Even when foliage was at its best, 'green, healthy,' it grew no larger than 8-10".

    Soil is well draining, and only watered when dry. Could watering be the problem?

    To be honest, after 3-4 yrs w/o blooms, I pretty much gave up. AL was watered properly, fertilized twice a year..First with an All Purpose fert, the second time, Blooming Fertilizer, specified for bloomers.

    Like your AL, after repotting, all leaves died back..That's a first.
    However, new foliage is growing. It's still in a west window, but doesn't get much direct sun where located.

    Over the years it was placed in different locations, including a gh. GH is a little too chilly.

    When AL was at the nursery I worked, it never bloomed.
    I know some plants are, well, defective, no matter what one does. One out of a million shot, but it happens.

    As for 'possibly' being a mini...your bulbs are larger than mine. After 17-yrs, shouldn't they be bigger than they are now?

    Rina, I should have looked at your link before re-posting. Will check your plant when finished.

    Nan. Your AL is beautiful. Leaves are vivid green and healthy. Is it potted in a bulb pan, and if so, what's the diameter?

    Thanks much..Toni

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Toni,
    It's currently in an 18in diameter bowl, about 9in deep. I think recently you've been keeping it too dry. The soil shouldn't really ever dry out, except a little bit when you're trying to force flowers. I have to try hard to not water it for about 2 or more weeks until the leaves start to wilt and then I know it should bloom soon.

    Up until about 2 years ago, I kept it in this green pot, as shown. This picture was from early June 2004, just 3 years after I bought the one bulb with 3 leaves. Obviously a shallow pot is not a requirement.

    Two planty friends went to the store and we each bought a $4 Eucharis: one of them killed it very quickly by leaving it with her parents when she went on vacation; the other one kept it alive barely as a non-blooming effete set of leaves in a pot and eventually planted it in Hawaii where it is still alive but not nearly as big as my Portland plant. It seems that the kind of care they receive is very important... now only if we could pinpoint the salient differences. The one friend who managed to keep it alive kept it too dark and didn't water enough, in general, in my opinion. I also have to wonder if they like a nightly cool down and a seasonal difference in temp? Do they want nights lower than 65 to bloom? Mine gets nights in the 50s all summer and winter whereas my friend's plant was constantly 71-74 indoors, or hotter in Hawaii.

    I'm not familiar with the other species/hybrids of Eucharis except that I know they exist. Yours could potentially be a smaller species/hybrid...

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow Toni, you said a mouth full. I will try my best to answer your questions in one response but I am very apt to miss something and have to re-post.

    To answer your first question, most sites do rec. no direct sun but placed in a very bright area. It has been my experience that the sun tends to warm the plant excessively and that is more the problem than the sun itself. Nankeen seems to keep his plant in a southwest window and his results speak for themselves. The thing I have frequently heard about Oregon however is that they have a lot of rain and overcast days there so I don't know how many sunny days they receive vs. other parts of the country. My best advice would continue to rec. a west facing window. My plant gets about 3 hours of direct sun a day and responds nicely to that amount. The poor plant is really stufed into a corner in this small house and the window is floor to ceiling but not very wide.

    These plants do not like heat however so you should be aware of temps and you will see a little leaf-droop (not to be confused with drop)or curl if they get too warm. They do however prefer to be watered with warm water. My plant seems happiest when the temps are in the 60s to low 70s.

    I do not use a special bulb pot and my pot is likely a little deeper than Nankeen's but again, I do use Styrofoam in the bottom of my pot for drainage so the two plants are probably in about the same depth of soil area.

    When you do re-pot, your leaves should not die off if you are re-potting a healthy specimen. DO NOT RE-POT otherwise. They will however droop for a time as a result of shock. Try NEVER to disturb your roots when re-potting. I seem to re-pot about every three years which is pure coincidence that that is what is rec. YOU MUST REMEMBER, THESE PLANTS THRIVE IN POT-BOUND CONDITIONS and you will get your most blooms under those circumstances. I honestly don't know how big my bulbs are these days as when I pulled my plant the other day, it was nothing but a mass of roots, no bulbs to be seen and I could barely see the soil, just light beige roots everywhere. The last I saw the bulbs they were about 3" but that was years ago. You want your pot to appear to be choking your plant growth before deciding on whether to re-pot.

    I would also advise you get a moisture meter if you don't already have one. That will help a lot until you get the feel of your particular plant. Every plant has it's own rhythm but mine seems to be very similar to Nankeen's if that helps any. A basic needle indicator type moisture meter can be purchased for around $10 at like a Wal-Mart but you want the probe to have a little length to it as your plant will get bigger and need deeper pots. Just be careful when taking readings and let your hand do a little probing before plunging the end of the meter in your soil, you don't want to hit a bulb so "proceed cautiously".

    Good drainage is essential but you also want the soil to hold some moisture. My personal practice is to leave something in the bottom of the pot to allow air to get to the underside of the bulbs to avoid risk of over-watering and having water sit in the lower areas around the bulbs and rot them. Whether you rely on a large drip tray or use some form of media in the pot is up to you but you want that oxygen getting to the lower areas.

    I have seen sites rec. you leave the crowns of the bulbs at soil level but I tend to strongly advise against it. The bulbs need to be in your soil a bit or your leaves will not be supported so well. I am probably going to top my soil a little more to get my bulbs even deeper.


    My plant seems to flower normally on a similar cycle as Nankeen's so that gives you an idea of when you may want to let your soil dry out a little just prior to late winter and mid fall otherwise keep the soil slightly moist but NOT WET. I probably water with about the same frequency as Nankeen as well, about every two weeks so as to avoid saturating the soil. Like your nursery employer and my friend Bob, I do rely heavily on misting my plant and keeping the humidity levels up. My personal experience has been that this helps greatly. I've got about the same span as our friend here with the great plant but my plant was in a 14" pot prior to the pot breaking. It stands about 3 ft. tall from the soil but is really wide, the 5 ft. estimate is likely pretty accurate.

    Our nights now are going down to the high 40s-lower 50s now and I do think the cooler nights helps stimulate production of flower spikes as well.

    Again Good Luck, I hope this is helpful. I got home a bit earlier today than expected but I better get my rear in gear and get to my evening chores.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    One thing I would like to address that I just noticed. I believe you may be drowning your plant in the winters, killing it with kindness as they say.

    We heat mainly with wood here and we are in one of the highest spots in the Poconos so our winters are quite severe. A basement wood stove and living room fireplace run almost around the clock and as I said before, our house is quite small, only about 1,700 sq. ft. of living space. Our house gets very dry. You must remember that with winter's shorter days, your plant won't drink like it does in growing season. I also realized it was you who ran the humidifier etc., not your employer. Water more sparingly in the winter but be sure to gradually pour your water so you thoroughly coat the complete top of your soil. Since I don't know your plant size or pot size it is next to impossible to give you a "guestimate" on how much water to use

    All the bells and whistles are not necessary, daily generous misting will go a long way and likely all that is necessary.

    In the summers I tend to mist every other day but give the plant good drinks when I do water it.

    I do think you may have a mini on your hands though as your bulbs should be much, much bigger. I don't see the grandifloras so much but still your mini should be blooming provided its needs are met. Perhaps try a second one???? I think if you had a grandiflora you'd know it by now. They are a little hard to miss....LOL.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maybe this will help. Average leaf stem is probably about 18" + long (on a mature leaf) and that is before the actual leaf. Add another 16" on average for the leaf itself. If you have never seen anything remotely close to that size after all these years, I'd bet you have a mini. Do as Paul suggested above and visit pacificbulbsociety.org, they show minis and they look just like these original monster versions. I think the monster versions are not so common because they really do need a lot of space.

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Toni,
    I would love to see a picture of your plant.

    horseinaround: "The thing I have frequently heard about Oregon however is that they have a lot of rain and overcast..." Our winters are wet with about 40in of rain and sunny days are definitely the odd man out; however, the summers are usually morning clouds that burn off by 11am. If we see more than 0.25in of rain in either June, July, August or September, we are having a very strange summer. It's been since mid June since we actually had rain here in Portland, and we've got a month before we should see any still. What this means is that my Eucharis gets pure sun all summer. It hits the plant at about 2pm (since SW facing and the plant is on a stand) and goes down behind a tree at around 6-7, maybe 8 near the solstice. On hot days, if I don't close the blinds, I will get leaf burn though.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    PS, Take note of Nankeen's potting mix Toni, "a very smart mix" and almost fool-proof. You will also note in one of his pictures he has a greenhouse so he obviously does a lot with plants.

    He has not only a great plant but a beautiful display.

    He also uses a 16-16-16 orchid fertilizer whereas I rely more on soil high in natural organics and established fish tank water. Yesterday was the first day I ever fertilized my plant, EVER.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW, you get more sun than we do Nankeen. It is raining here now.

    I am going to try more sun when I get a better house LOL.
    The only time I ever had leaf burn was when I left my plant too much in the sun outdoors when I first got it that first summer. I know of someone who was on an island off the coast of Oregon and he complained it always rained. He just moved back to Connecticut.

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Horseinaround: The coast is a different beast. Rains constantly and the temp never goes above 70. While it can be a nice getaway on a hot day, it's no place to live (for me!). 50miles east is a mountain range with Mt Hood at 11k and 20mi east of that is the desert with somewhere between 10 and 20 inches of rain per year.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ah Ha, Now I understand. I've been trying to figure out why yours can take such wonderful sun and mine can't. I have a theory on that I mention below.

    I had wondered if you were further east or something. Sounds like a great area, no humidity.....

    I'd like to try more sun with my plant. Because we use a different fertilizer program, I think my plant is perhaps more sensitive to sun but I do try to keep it in as bright an area as possible. I really like your plant (as I do like mine also) but I think your approach will give Toni more predictable results and I do like that potting mix you came up with, very practical. I am really surprised you don't mist though as it does seem to make such a huge difference vs. when I got lazy about misting mine.

    I had re-potted my friend Bob's plant but his was in a more shallow pot and he used a mix of potting soil and large perlite. His bulbs were also quite a bit under the soil.

    By next week I hope to post pics of mine. Our two plants are remarkably similar although we used two different approaches we arrived at pretty much the same results. I do think my potting mixture was a bit depleted of nutrients at this point since I do not fertilize in any way. My leaves are currently not as deep as green as your leaves or my plant as full as it use to be. For the moment, your plant is more correct than mine (a show specimen) but mine is still a very good example to share.

    I have noticed a few new curled sprouts coming in tonight already so I know my plant is already responding well to the transplant, Yippee....

    Considering it was just a year ago yesterday my plant was totally destroyed, the fact that it has made such a come-back is a real credit to the hardiness of the species and the incredible rate of growth these things have if happy. Had I had the bulbs near the surface, the plant would have suffered far more damage and possibly even been lost.

    We both agree that the plant needs to be kept damp but not wet and drainage needs to be exceptional regardless of the methods used to achieve that. Hopefully we will help others like Toni achieve the success we both have enjoyed. I tend to agree with you that she is going too dry in the summer and I believe drowning it too much in the winter.

    If Toni's bulbs are that small however but still solid and her roots in good shape, I do think she likely has a miniature version. The plant would not have survived this long if there was a problem with her bulbs. Those bulbs are very small considering the age of the plant, what do you think???? I never saw bulbs that small on a grandiflora.

    I never thought I'd be posting about my plant but now that I know there are a lot of people who would love to get out of their plants what you and I get to enjoy, I'm just glad to try and help and obviously you are too. I do like your almost fail-proof program that would be easy to follow and your results speak for themselves.

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Horseinaround: I don't remember any small bulbs last I repotted. I was mostly concerned with seeing which was the biggest, not the smallest. Perhaps those new bulbs with just two leaves were only 1.5 in, but to maintain one at that size for 17 years would be nearly impossible. Looking forward to seeing your plant!

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good Morning Nankeen:

    I tend to agree with you on Toni's plant as well. She said she has a lot of foliage but it never blooms. With that info in mind, I honestly don't see how a plant that old could have or would have survived and I think at some point she should have gotten at least a few leaves of considerable size. Nothing about these plants is small, that is for sure.

    I did not see a single bulb the other day. I just gently plucked away the edges of a few roots to aid in getting the roots into the new soil. It was a really tight mass of roots.

    My friend Bob is kind of my surrogate dad. I had worked for him an d just always remember seeing this plant on a big round coffee table. The mother plant I took it from originally (about 11 years ago) had to be at least another 10 years old so that is how I arrived at my "guestimate" of the plant being around 20 years old. I talk to my friend almost every day and I'll ask him today if he remember when he originally got the plant and where since there are some readers out there looking for one. Bob is 90 now which is why I actually did the re-potting for him back when I took my little section. The plant was just too much for him to handle and since I wanted a section of it, I agreed to re-pot it. I had a number of Bob's plants, my better hibiscus came from him, some of my orchids. I STILL have this huge crown of thorns (and would kill to return) along with a big kolanchoe that also belongs to him.
    I wish he had taken back this crown of thorns and let me hang on to the orchids...... Like yourself, Bob was a big plant person and had actually a few greenhouses at his farm in his younger days. Many of his plants went to a posh resort in this area, some went to his children and some came my direction. Ya know what I would like to do with this crown of thorns......I am not sure who has the AL mother plant these days, certainly not me. I don't have the room for the one I've got.

    I am going to try like heck to get my plant loaded next week. Every other week is a heavy work week for me and I am now in my harder week.

    We don't evolve too much in this household. This will force me to move into the 21st century, ya know that!!!! I'll have my husband bring my plant downstairs and try to put this where you can clearly see the size, try to get some really accurate measurements off of it. Your plant and mine are really close in size, we are really splitting hairs here on this one...... Enjoy your day. I've got to get out the door.....

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi All

    Don't have time now but I did get some curious answers from my friend Bob as to keeping these plants. He has kept them all his life and has no idea what happened to the original or where he got that very first plant as the plant I refer as "my plant's mother" was apparently somewhere down the line of a long line of these plants.

    Bob always referred to my plant as a staphanopolis (I need to get the correct spelling from Bob as I was on the road when I talked to him yesterday) and I didn't even know it was an amazon lily up until about a year ago when I found a picture of one in a new plant book I bought, stupid me.

    Bob had taught me exactly how to care for it when he gave me my plant's mother plant to plant-sit. If I had a question I would just ask Bob. I always had Bob's plant to compare mine to as I was frequently at Bob's house up until 2 years ago. The age I gave you for the age of the mother plant to mine is correct, about 20 years old.

    Bob has had these plants all his life apparently, at his farm in PA, where he lived in France, his vacation home at the Jersey shore, where I met him originally in northern NJ. One thing I did find interesting though is that Bob said his very best specimen thrived the most at his Jersey shore house. He said "it loved the humid, salty air".

    He had a few other interesting pointers I'll share later. He has kept these plants for more than 60 years so he was a bit confused on some terminology, kind of like getting a recipe from an old time cook, they just kind of do things. I asked him to clarify a few things in an email I sent him last night.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good Lord Hi Everyone

    I've been away for so long I had forgotten my log-in info. My mother had a stroke and I was called away unexpectedly.

    I am still confused as to what my plant is but I believe it is a fore-runner to today's Amazon Grandiflora as I see differences in my plant vs. Nankeen's. I will be getting some pictures soon. Sorry to be so long but since I was not home.......

    My plant has a paler green leaf, almost bright green but still in all a very rich green and the leaves are ultra shiny, very high gloss. The flowers are always snow white.

    I dug out my old notes on the plant, instructions I had written down when I was given the plant. I am supposed to be putting wood ashes in the water when watering the plant. That is to elevate the potassium in replacement of potash. Maybe that is why my leaves never came back since the hail storm in the profusion they once were.

    Another curious thing that has happened is after seeing Nankeen's plant and him saying he puts his plant in full afternoon sunlight, I decided to do the same as it had been crammed in the corner and for so long neglected other than watered and misted. We made a spot for it before leaving and I told my husband to rotate the plant once while I was away. I came home to find a good percentage of the leaves on the plant leaves literally standing straight up. That is quite a feat considering the leaves are 2 to 3 feet (mostly 3 ft.) long from stem to leaf tip.

    The plant is every bit as wide as I describe but has very sparse leaves, not filled in well at all. I want to see if I can get it to fill in better for the next few weeks and then share some pictures. It does have some new leaves coming in but not near what they should be. The plant was pretty wiped out after the storm which is how it ended up being stuffed in that corner. It looks so gawky and leggy now and I would like it to look a bit better before sharing.
    Maybe the ash will give it the boost it needs since I don't use regular fertilizer.

    Hope all is well with everyone out there. I have not forgotten you or my promise to post my pictures. I just want my plant to be worth sharing...... It looks too funny now. Sad because it was once an incredible plant.

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just don't forget to get & post 'before' and 'after' photos; it's so good to see progress plants make.
    Good luck, hopefully it's on a recovery path.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Rina:

    Yea, we automatically planned on doing that. We figured the before and after pictures would say the most.

    I wish I had pictures to show you of after the hail storm. To have it back at all is just wonderful..... At the time we just hauled in the lily and 2 hibiscus thinking they were done but remained optimistic.

    I was practically in tears as the three plants were so totally devastated by the two hours of heavy hail stones and we were helpless to rescue them because the hail just kept coming.

  • horseinaround
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Everyone.

    I have a few things to share before work this morning. We have the remnants of Issac passing through so days are very overcast here. My Amazon lily picked up incredibly yesterday. IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT LIKE FULL SUN. only bright light.

    The other thing worth sharing is my friend Bob always called them philodendrons for "a common name". I was on a site yesterday (need to find it again, copy and paste) and the person writing the advice also referred to them as basically "a flowering philodendron" and advised we care for them in much the same way as the philodendrons which is what I had always done in the past.

    I also pulled out my "House Plant Expert" book and they too advise against direct sun. I don't know how Nankeen does it but my plant will not be put in direct sun again. Time to drop the window blinds to deflect the sun once Issac clears out.

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Everyone,
    Since it's been a while, I thought I'd make a few notes now that winter is nearly here.

    My Eucharis is blooming now: I counted 17 spikes in various stages. I didn't water it for the entire month of September when it got very dry, but never really wilted. The first 2 spikes came out in mid October and I was afraid that was all I was going to get! Fortunately, more started to pop up about 2 weeks ago.

    {{gwi:113158}}

    The Eucharis scent doesn't usually waft, but with this many flowers it makes it about 2ft.

    {{gwi:113159}}

    After more carefully monitoring my care of the plant, I also noticed that I let it have full sun as long as the temperature is below 79F, rather than 86F as I said above. Otherwise leaf burn ensued. Not that that's a terrible problem since the leaves seem to only last a few months each.

  • meyermike_1micha
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That is a BEAUTIFUL plant! I have always wanted one of these,now the search is on!

    Can you give just a brief simple instructions o how to get it as beautiful as your? Light, fertilizer, secrets and so on?

    Thank you!

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Mike,
    Thanks. It is one of my favorites.

    Mix: I'm sure most mixes common on the forum would suffice for this plant. Mine is mostly perlite and bark with peat. Use something that will last a long time since repotting is hard.

    Fert: I fertilize during the warm months pretty heavily without any burn. Just granular 16-16-16. Again, I'm sure most fertilizer would be fine.

    Light: Most people say low light, but mine is always in a SW window getting plenty of direct light for half the day and indirect otherwise. As I mentioned earlier I close the blinds when the temperature is above 79F.

    Water: Water to keep moist, while letting dry out just slightly between. Depending on pot size and mix, it will change. I give it whatever cold comes out of the tap.

    Repotting: Be careful when repotting as any trauma/stress on the roots will cause severe setback, as with several other members of Amaryllidaceae. Translation: don't divide the bulbs! Just up-pot infrequently.

    Humidity: Seems not to matter so long as it's above 30% (given adequate reduction in light for low humidity). In my sunroom the humidity goes to 30-50% in the summer when the windows are open and is 50-60% in the winter when the windows are closed.

    Temps: In my sunroom, the winter min is 60F and high is 75F when the sun shines once in a while. It's been fine down to 50F, but I keep the temp warmer for other plants in there. In the summer, min is about 60F, high is whatever it is outside, usually 80F or so. It's been up to 108F without any real damage (in the shade, of course). I have a fan in the sunroom running during the evening and night to cool the room down.

    To induce blooming, the plant has to be pretty large, filling the pot well. I doubt if rootbound conditions are required, but you can see the plants above that bloom well are large for the pot. As I said above, I let the plant dry out for a whole month (without real withering). However, I have also had good blooming sometimes without any drying out so maybe forcing the bulbs is just an illusion. Let it grow and grow for at least 3 to 4 years without any real hope of flowers. If it's filling the pot during that time, then you're on your way.

    Keep in mind that my plant was a single bulb 11 years ago. If I had followed my own advice about judicious repotting, it could have been this large after only 6 or 7 years...

    Best of luck.
    Ross

  • birdsnblooms
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nan...your Amazon Lily is Amazing! Wow!

    So, refraining from watering is the secret? Did it go an entire month without a drink?

    It sure is beautiful....Toni

  • macranthos
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Toni. It did go 30 days without water, except maybe a light sprinkle once or twice. I don't know if withholding water is really necessary, I just tend to do it anyway. On the same logic, I also have a theory that my phone keeps tigers away since I've never seen a tiger when I've had my phone on me.

  • birdsnblooms
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nan, I love your tiger theory..lol.

    I believe I read or someone told me, 'back when I got AL,' withholding water for 'x' amount of time will promote flowers..but my AL doesn't care if it's watered or not.
    It will not bloom.

    Around the time I started this thread, I unpotted its bulbs, removed leaves, repotted in fresh soil/different pot.

    Foliage returned, but there's no way it's mature enough to produce buds. Oh well, patience is the key, right? lol

  • dennisp4
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all. Hope it's not too late to join this post. I have a question regarding the after flowering phase of the AL.

    When do you cut the stem off? Do you do anything with any of it afterwards?

    The lady that gave me some bulbs from her plants said that after the flowers have died, she pinches off the little "nobs" and pushes them into the soil. She seems to think they would grow. I'm really not sure about that.

    Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

  • garyfla_gw
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi
    Had to comment since this is my runaway favorite bulb for florida.. I grow some in pots and some in the shadehouse as well as yard plants . The "knobs are seed pods but have never tried to propagate them that way as thep multiply rapidly when happy. Only things I've found they won't tolerate is hard freeze/ complete drying out, full sun and very poor soil. Even those are not doom lol They just slow way down and fail to flower as well.
    Odd that they are not very common here as they have so much going for them. gary

  • FrugalFanny
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey everybody!

    Just saw this thread for the first time. What type of container do you all grow yours in? My grandmother has some that are wayyyy overdue for separating and re-potting, but she won't do it until she finds what she considers to be the perfect container: a round, shallow(~5" deep), un-glazed terra cotta pot with NO drainage hole. Ideally, the side of the pot curves inward as it nears the top. She swears these are the only pots that will do. I have searched every nursery, garden center, and online for 2+ years for such a pot, but to no avail. Looks like we'll have to hire a potter before the bulbs bust out of the two pots she does have. She needs 4+ additional pots.

    Regardless, her bulbs usually bloom. The number of flower spikes in the past few years is diminishing, probably because they are so crammed in the pots. She isn't even home in the winter time, and the bulbs remain in her cool, poorly lit house, hugging the window and surviving on a siphon system she has set up to water them through terra-cotta spikes stuck into the soil (or lack thereof, at this point). She tosses a few M.G. plant food spikes into the bucket of water that feeds the siphon system, and off she goes!

    Does anybody have suggestions of other types of pots to grow these in, or sources for pots like those I described?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated! It is my mission to help my grandmother with this project.

    Thanks,
    FrugalFanny

  • dennisp4
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! What a pretty pot. I'd like to buy one of those if you ever find them. :-)

    When I was given my bulbs, I put them in a large plastic garden pots with some Miracle Grow Potting Soil.
    I keep them on my patio and water frequently or when the leaves get droopy.

    I have another question for you lily lovers...I noticed an arched spike (or spur) on the top of a couple leaves about mid center. It's only about the diameter of a toothpick.

    Any ideas what purpose it serves?

    Thanks for your input. Judy

  • FrugalFanny
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks judy! that sounds easy enough. i'll have to let you know if i ever find more pots like that one:)

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a fabulous thread! I just got some Amazon Lily bulbs after having them on my "want" list for a long, long time. I am so excited to have this wealth of knowledge. Thanks to all for sharing and helping. You have been most generous with your time and I appreciate it.

    Carol in Jacksonville

  • inga007
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Been looking for these bulbs for 3 decades.
    Managed to get them on line. Planted them, volā, they are growing like weeds.
    After reading this forum I'm very discouraged, how hard it seems to get them to bloom.
    Will come and report, my results whenever.

  • dennisp4
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi,
    I live in Central Florida and have two containers of Amazon (Eucharist) Lily's.
    They are in Miracle Grow potting soil and live on our back porch. They do not like direct sun and they seem to do best when I keep them watered. (I use rain water).
    I fertilize with Miracle Grow mixed w/water when I think about it.
    They bloom about once a year but in between the leaves are so beautiful.
    I'm getting a bunch of new leaves so may have to repot soon.
    Here is an article from USF: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp198

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    I have some in the ground, in a shady spot. Don't really do anything for them but should probably fertilise some more. They flower readily every year though.

  • gottesmana
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We have one at the library where I volunteer with the care of their plants. I don't do anything special to it. The library has very good natural light and the plant has bloomed several times. None of our plants are in direct sunlight. The windows are on all sides, but high up. My only problem with the Amazon lily has been thrips. As a result I've abused it by spraying and set it back by aggressive re-potting. But it is lovely when it blooms, so I haven't given up.

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mine is putting up its first bloom. Yay! I can't wait! I wonder if there will be more blooms or I will just have the one... patiently awaiting....

  • meyermike_1micha
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They almost look like peace lilly's and seem to require a lot more light than the actual peace lilly..

    I can't even get my peace lilly to flower like it did when I bought it at the nursery after several years, let alone flower one of these..I think I am going to have to find a much brighter spot than I am thinking..

    Maybe very BRIGHT light is key..

    What a wonderful thread!

    MIke

    This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Wed, Jan 29, 14 at 10:14

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mike, my Amazon Lilies and Peace Lilies live outdoors under shade trees year-round except overnight during occasional freezes. All get direct morning sun until late morning or noonish.

    When threat of frost/freeze has passed, maybe try yours outside this upcoming growing season?

    Carol

  • inga007
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    After a year, of buying my bulbs, in July, this year, I got my first 24" stalk and six blooms.
    Two month later, I have another long stalk, with 6, but bigger blooms. 4 1/2"
    Am disappointed about the, very faint, fragrance, may I have the wrong kind of Eucharis lily, mine is Amazonica.
    I would like the one that is strongly fragrant.
    I found out, there are about 20 different ones.

  • Beth Fraser
    8 years ago

    Hey all! I just recently bought a "Christine" Amazon Lily (Eucharis Amazonica), and I'm confused as to how much light it should be getting. It is currently out on my patio (southern-facing exposure), but is on the coffee table in the center of the patio where it should receive only earlier day direct light (if that). It is currently very humid here (zone 10, SW Florida), and I have just put it into an 8" pot. Only received it earlier this week, but I'm noticing tiny yellow spots, with a little bit of brown inside the yellow on a couple of leaves, and I'm wondering if it is too hot/too much direct light? I had it closer to the screen enclosure, where it was receiving a lot more light, and just moved it tonight. The potting soil I used has fertilizer in it, but am wondering if I shouldn't feed it? Thoughts? Also, does anyone know when the blooming season is here in FL? Where I'm at, it very rarely gets cold enough to actually freeze. Daytime temps are usually (at the coldest) in the upper 50's-mid 70's. However, humidity levels plummet in winter here. Would misting help during these hotter months, or will simply keeping it watered well suffice? I'm new to this plant, and want to make sure it grows well! Thanks for any advice!

  • mirirobertson
    8 years ago

    Hi All

    I have had an Amazon Lily for about 20 years here in UK and my plant has flowered a few times. However, I had to wait for 8 years to see it flower. It gives me great pleasure when it does, this year I have had no luck yet but I have just recently divided all the bulbs. I keep my plant in the kitchen and it seems to like it.

  • homer_diaz
    7 years ago

    Hi everyone,

    Last March, I bought 3 Amazon Lily bulbs from www.easytogrowbulbs.com and 2 extra bulbs with leaves from www.eldontropicals.com. I planted all of them in one plant pot only and I fertilize them with Miracle Gro. After 9 months I got my 3 first flower stalks and 3 blooms. I live in Venice Beach, California. https://www.instagram.com/p/BOIWSJuAh1a/ 

  • jurasico
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I got mine in the mail in August. Planted it in pot with well-draining soil and left the bulb well above the level of the soil. First time with this plant. It was in shaded place on my deck until the end of October, then put it into my greenhouse/garage and forgot about it. Well, today I went out back and found it was beginning to bloom. Love it!

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