Lady's Hand
Cyanella hyacinthoides
Family: Amaryllidaceae
What it is like
Cyanella hyacinthoides is a BULB growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Mostly found on clay and granite slopes, often in renosterveld.
S. Africa.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Bulb - cooked. An onion substitute.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Prefers a light sandy soil. Requires a very warm sunny position in a very well-drained soil, it is best grown at the foot of a south-facing wall or in a south-facing bed. Plants have deeply seated corms and are very drought resistant once established. Plants are not very frost hardy, but they can be grown outdoors in the milder areas of the country if given a good mulch. Plant the bulbs 15cm deep in autumn to flower in spring or in the spring to flower in the summer. Lift the bulbs when they die down, dry them and store in a cool place until it is time to replant. Flowers are produced in 3 - 4 years from seed.
Propagating it: Seed - sow the seed thinly in the autumn in a greenhouse so that it will not be necessary to thin the seedlings. Once the seed has germinated, grow on the seedlings in the same pot for their first year, giving an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not become mineral deficient. Pot up 2 - 3 small bulbs to a pot when the plants are dormant and grow them on in a greenhouse until the bulbs reach flowering size. Plant them out in the spring, after the last expected frosts. Division of offsets when the plants are dormant. Larger bulbs can be planted straight out into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out.
Best place to grow: South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist