The smaller African amaryllis ‘Graffiti’ I mentioned last week has produced a second set of blooms. Only two of the three bulbs put out a second stem, and they’re not quite as colourful as the first set was, but as you can see they’re still pretty fabulous.
More photos after the jump…
Where this second flush are lacking is in the red splashes inside the outer petals. I think this is my fault since I moved the pot further away from strong light after the first flush. Thinking on it further, I believe that the third bulb did not produce a second flower stem because the first flower pollinated. A seedpod is growing larger by the day, and I’ve been letting it happen for the experience of it. This will take its toll on the bulb, but I like to roll with these occurrences when they happen. It’s good learning!
Beautiful photos, it’s a stunning plant. It will be interesting to see how the seed pod grows as well.
“the third bulb did not produce a second flower stem because the first flower pollinated”
I don’t think so. The flower stem (in miniature) is already in the bulb, it just needs to elongate.
The number of stems is determined by the amount of sunlight and length of growing season in the summer.
Thank you for chiming in. However, I wish you had quoted me accurately. I am not a botanist and don’t pretend to be. For that reason, I am careful to make it clear when I am hypothesizing/guessing rather than speaking “the facts”.
What I wrote was, “Thinking on it further, I believe that the third bulb did not produce a second flower stem because the first flower pollinated.” I should have added “in part” to that sentence, because while I do understand the role that sunlight during the growing season plays in bulb performance, I was not under the impression that it was the sole determinate in flower performance. I would love to see some literature on this. Can you make a suggestion?
Ooohhh…I want to see the seed pod. How fun!
I should have included a photo. It’s not at a mature size yet, but is growing quite plump.
I love the gorgeous delicate detail of your amaryllis photos.
Thanks so much! I really enjoy taking them and am finding that my experimentation is paying off because they are improving. My first attempts were not great. I’ve tried many different background colours and will say that the charcoal/black is most ideal in making the colours and details pop.
Gorgeous!! I adore when there is greenery within the petals of a flower and not just the foliage, it’s one of my favorite things. Your photographs are lovely and I agree with you about the dark background, it makes the flowers so bright, they really stand out.