Friday 20 March 2009

Amaryllis papillio.(now aka Mary Alice Papillio)

My friend, Jean (Crelak Papillons), a former exhibitor and fellow companion on many bleary-eyed journeys to far flung dog shows, has been giving me an amaryllis as a Christmas present for a few years, but this year the plant has surpassed all others. It goes by the name of Amaryllis papillio and was chosen for obvious reasons.
I potted it up in the small provided pot, in early January, and nothing much appeared to be happening, but, just before my jaunt to Oz at the beginning of February, the tip of a shoot was beginning to emerge from the bulb. I did wonder if anything much would grow.
I can only liken it to a beanstalk. On my return, it was about 36 inches high and a second shoot was growing from the bulb followed a day or two later by a third stalk.
In another couple of days it had produced 4 large flower heads and was listing dangerously! It is now supported in a fragile manner by some metal stakes, a length of rubber- covered wire , and a lot of positive thoughts, but is by no means stable as the pot is so small. It looks somewhat like a drunken triffid.
The first head is now shrivelling. Will stalks 2 and 3 produce similar blooms?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many years ago I had one of these which, according to the donor of the "bulb" would take 7 years to mature. Years passed, and in the position it occupied on the windowsill, it was often "attacked" by the steam from the kettle, and referred to by my beloved husband as "that bloody leek". However, after having lost count of the years, one year, lo and behold it flowered and did for many following years and produced many bulblets which were passed around friends and family. Our neighbour at that time was a very old lady, and, on one occasion when visiting us while it was in flower said "Oh, I see you have a Mary Alice", and by that name they have been known in this family ever since!

Pyatshaw said...

Mary Alice it shall be henceforth !!!