About
Brunsvigia litoralis is a sizable bulb known for its unique red to pink candelabra-like flowers that bloom during the summer months. After the flowering period, it produces a cluster of tongue-shaped leaves with frilled edges that rise vertically from the center. The bulb's tunic is brown and has a papery texture.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bulbs
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Plant bulbs only just below the soil surface, when dormant, in moderately fertile, light, free-draining soil; extra grit can be added to improve drainage. Will do best when baked in full sun and with shelter from harsh frosts
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, sowing them in containers in a cold frame when ripe or in the spring. Seeds are ready to set once ripe. There is no dormant period. Alternatively remove offsets in autumn
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to bulb damage by large narcissus bulb fly. May also be susceptible to aphids, mealybugs and glasshouse red spider mite when grown under glass
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free