Scadoxus Plant: Relative of an Amaryllis

Hi Kathy,

Your plant is a bulb plant called a Scadoxus. It looks like a Scadoxus multiflorus, commonly called blood lily. Scadoxus is a member of the Amaryllis Family of plants and is a poisonous houseplant so please keep it away from small children and pets. Unlike regular Amaryllis bulbs and plants that, with the proper care, can bloom year after year during the holiday season, it often takes up to 10 years for a Scadoxus plant to bloom. Each Scadoxus bulb usually produces 6″-8″ long, thick leaves every year. If you are lucky, your Scadoxus Plant may also produce one flower per season.  The flower head is a round and about the size of a small ball. The flower of a Scadoxus Plant is made up of hundreds of tiny florets, each strand it topped with yellow tipped stamens. A more popular Scadoxus variety is the S.Multifloris or Blood Lily pictured below (photo is from the Missouri Botanical Garden). Scadoxus bulbs, unlike many other plant bulbs,  do not like to have their roots disturbed. When it is time to give the plant a rest, so it can regrow the following year, just move your Scadoxus to a cool dry area and cut back on your watering. Scadoxus Plants also like to be root-bound so don’t be in a rush to move it to a larger pot. Always keep in mind that a Scadoxus is a poisonous houseplant so be very careful where you move it.