| Brunsvigia josephinae | |
|---|---|
| Brunsvigia josephinae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amaryllidoideae |
| Genus: | Brunsvigia |
| Species: | B. josephinae |
| Binomial name | |
| Brunsvigia josephinae Ker-Gawl. |
|
Brunsvigia josephinae, commonly called Josephine's lily or candelabra lily, is a deciduous, subtropical species of Brunsvigia originating from South Africa.[1] It is marked by deep pink to red flowerheads which are about 12 to 15 inches long. It flourishes in medium humidity, at temperatures between 50 and 75°F (10 to 24°C).[2] It shoots up from bulbs in March and April, and the leaves develop later. These bulbs can take 12 years to settle before they flower, but they flower annually once established.[3]
B. josephinae is about 0.65 m tall when flowering. Its bulbs are some 200 mm in diameter and usually exposed. Leaves appear only in winter; they are blueish grey and typically range from 8-20 leaves per plant. Dark red, tubular flowers appear in late summer to autumn; they are 15 mm long atop stalks approximately 650 mm long, with 30-40 flowers per plant. Plants may take as long as 14 years to mature from seeds.
The lily was named for Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napolean's empress.[3]