Haemanthus albiflos stays green through all four seasons and is full of vitality all year round

Haemanthus albiflos (white paintbrush lily) is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the genus Haemanthus in the Amaryllidaceae family, native to southern Africa. The broad-leaved plants grow 20-30 cm tall, with a shortened or flattened-globose rhizome that is jointed. The leaves emerge from the base, are opposite, spreading and broad, usually 4-6 in number and neatly arranged.

Haemanthus albiflos likes a sunny, warm, humid and well-ventilated environment. It is fairly drought-tolerant but not cold-tolerant, with an optimum growing temperature of 15-25°C, and requires well-drained, slightly acidic loam.

The growing medium for cultivating Haemanthus albiflos can be made by mixing peat, leaf mold and river sand evenly. During the growing season, apply decomposed cake fertilizer once a month, with a suitable supplementary amount of phosphorus fertilizer. After winter dormancy, the plant can be repotted and divided. In cold regions it should be moved into a greenhouse for care, ensuring a minimum temperature of 5°C, otherwise it is prone to frost damage.

Haemanthus albiflos is mainly propagated by division and cuttings. Division can be carried out all year round, but spring and autumn are best, and it can be done together with repotting. First shake off the potting soil, then use a sharp knife to cut the daughter plants sprouting from the roots away from the point where they join the mother plant. Then pot them up and place them in a semi-shaded environment. Propagation by cuttings is fast and has a high survival rate, making it a good method for propagating Haemanthus albiflos. The specific method is: from April to August, select robust and thick leaves, cut them into 10 cm sections, insert 1/3 of each into pure river sand, and after 2-3 months several small shoots can sprout; once the small shoots grow to 3 true leaves, they can be potted and planted.