Scadoxus puniceus ‘Windvogel Mountain’

I was fortunate to see this splendid hippeastrum cousin in the wild during my 2005 trek through South Africa, where it grew in the mid-elevation subtropical forests. Scadoxus puniceus emerges in mid-April (NC) with 15″ tall, heavily speckled stems, each topped with a flower head that resembles an orange shaving cream brush encased in a red wrapper. The thick, glossy leaves emerge along with the flowers. Scadoxus puniceus is used medicinally to treat coughs and colds, asthma, gastro-intestinal problems, as an antiseptic, to ensure healthy labor, and to treat leprosy…should that still be a problem in your region. Scadoxus puniceus is one of those plants you just have to see in person to believe. We have grown this outdoors unprotected for a decade. In areas colder than Zone 7b, it makes a superb potted plant which can be dried off in winter. Our offerings are 5-year old flowering-sized seedlings.