Haemanthus albiflos It is an ideal plant for a shady rock garden or for difficult parts of the garden receiving poor light, where they can be left to multiply for many years.

It is one of the easiest of all the Haemanthus species to grow. It requires a dappled shade position similar to that preferred by clivias, and likes to remain undisturbed for many years once established. The soil medium must be well aerated. A suggested medium is equal parts of well rotted compost, coarse river sand and loam. Plant the greenish bulbs with the upper half exposed and the thick fleshy roots spread out horizontally over the medium.

It also makes an excellent subject for plastic or terracotta containers and these need not be deep as the roots naturally spread out horizontally. Pots of H. albiflos can be grown very successfully on a shady verandah and it is also suitable as an indoor plant where it should be placed in a position receiving dappled light but not direct sunlight. Plants like to become pot-bound and mature bulbs flower reliably every year, and only need to be divided every seven or eight years when flowering performance starts to diminish. H.albiflos is not hardy and has to be grown under the protection of the cool greenhouse in countries with very cold winter conditions.

Propagation of H. albiflos is by seed and by separationof offsets from thick clumps. Seeds are sown once the ripe berries have become soft and turned a bright orange or red colour from the end of winter to early summer, depending on the particular form being cultivated. Remove the hard oval-shaped seeds from the berries, wash them in water to remove the sticky pulpy layer surrounding them, and allow to dry for a day or two. Sow the seeds evenly in deep seed trays in a medium of equal parts of finely milled bark or finely sifted compost, as well as coarse river sand and loam, ensuring that they are covered with a very thin layer of about 3-4 mm of sowing medium. Water well with a fine rose and place the trays in a shaded position protected from heavy rain, and keep moist by watering well once every two weeks. Germination can take several months, so be patient.

Seedlings should be allowed to remain in the trays for two years,and can be planted out into the garden or into permanent pots in spring at the beginning of their third season, during which time the first flowers can be expected, under ideal conditions.

Offset bulbs are best separated from thick clumps in early spring, as temperatures begin to rise, ensuring that each offset has a good supply of roots. They should not be forcibly broken away from the mother bulbs but should be tugged away gently. They should be replanted as soon as possible and kept well shaded until the bulbs have established themselves and formed additional roots.

Haemanthus albiflos is not often subject to attack by pests or diseases but the leaves are sometimes invaded by the dreaded lily borer, also known as amaryllis caterpillar. The night-flying adult moth lays its eggs on the undersides of the leaves and the caterpillars rapidly bore into the leaf tissue and eventually into the bulb, which can be completely hollowed out in severe infestations. This pest, which is most prevalent during the hot summer months, can be controlled by cutting away and disposing of affected leaves, or by spraying with a carbaryl-based insecticide in severe infestations.