Common Name: amacrinum
Type: Bulb
Family: Unknown
Native Range: Garden origin
Zone: 8 to 10
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: August to October
Bloom Description: Shell-pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy, Fragrant, Good Cut
Leaf: Evergreen
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Deer
Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10 where this bulb can easily be grown outdoors year round in organically rich, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. Plants will remain evergreen in winter temperatures that do not dip below 25°F, but will survive somewhat lower temperatures to 10°F in a non-evergreen state. Some gardeners have been able to successfully grow this hybrid year round in the ground as far north as Zone 6 with a good winter mulch and protected location, however the risk of loss is ever present. North of Zone 8, plants are often grown in large containers which must be brought inside in winter. Plant bulbs in pots/containers that are at least two inches larger in diameter than the bulbs. Bulbs like to be pot-bound. Set bulb in pot with the neck exposed. Keep soils moist and fertilize regularly during the growing season. After bloom, reduce watering so that soils dry out between waterings. Bring containers inside in fall before first frost for overwintering in a cool, dry location (best with 45 to 50°F temperatures at night). Propagate by bulblets in spring. Increase watering in spring as plants show signs of new growth. Although plants can technically be grown in the ground in cold winter climates by planting the bulbs in late spring and lifting them in fall in somewhat the same manner as for dahlias, this is generally not considered good practice because the bulbs do not like to be disturbed, and, once disturbed, the plants may not bloom for another 2-3 years. When grown in the ground year-round in southern gardens where winter hardiness is not a problem, this hybrid will spread by rhizomes over time to form large colonies.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Amarcrinum, commonly known as crinodonna or hardy amaryllis, is an intergeneric hybrid genus consisting of crosses between Amaryllis and Crinum.
× Amarcrinum memoria-corsii is the most common such hybrid. It is a cross between Amaryllis belladonna and Crinum moorei, both of which are native to South Africa. This tender perennial hybrid typically grows to 2-3’ tall and as wide featuring a clump of strap-shaped leaves (to 2’ long and 2” wide) resembling those of Crinum moorei and large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped, shell-pink flowers (each to 3-4” wide) resembling those of Amaryllis belladonna. Showy flowers bloom late summer into fall in umbels of 10-15 flowers atop 2-foot tall leafless stalks.
Genus name is a composite name for hybrids between Amaryllis and Crinum.
Problems
Mealy bugs, nematodes, slugs and snails are occasional visitors. Watch for aphids and spider mites on indoor plants. Bulb rot. Leaf scorch.
Uses
Borders, containers, houseplants, pond or water garden peripheries. Good accent. Good cut flower.