PlantFiles: Karoo Lily
Ammocharis coranica

Grows and blooms just like a Crinum here in the Southern USA--recommended for zones 9-10--has shorter stockier scapes than a Crinum and does bloom in pink. Like Wallaby, I am evaluating this plant for its desirablility in the typical southern garden setting. It is quite stunning in pictures when blooming!

Given neutral only because I have not as yet had time to evaluate this plant.

I am very impressed by it's eagerness to grow, the seed is said to germinate easily. The seeds already had roots when received, and once placed on the surface of compost, as one would do with crinum seeds, half of the seeds had made a small first leaf within a few hours of being placed in a propogator.

In it's natural habitat, the dry elevated Karoo plains of Southern Africa, it grows at altitudes between 700-1500 metres in small pockets or on flats which are seasonally wet.

It does tolerate severe drought for lengthy periods, and growth and flowering is triggered by seasonal rains, normally starting in spring, but it can remain dormant if conditions are not correct.

Flowering can be erratic, the conditions for flowering seem to be uncertain but it can flower after fire, this is not necessarily a requirement, and it will take several years from seed to flower. I have read it can only be reproduced from seed, which are produced abundantly when it flowers.

Flowers are pink, darkening with age, and strongly scented. Several flowers resembling a Nerine make up a ball of flowers on a single stem.