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| Category: Bulb/Tuber/Rhizome etc. |
| Family: Amaryllidaceae (Onions) |
| Origin: Garden Origin |
| Flower Color: Red |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Synonyms: [Amaryllis johnsonii, A. brasiliensis] |
| Parentage: (H. reginae x H.vittata) |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Hippeastrum x johnsonii (St. Joseph's Lily) - This semi-evergreen bulb multiplies rapidly to form masses of broad green strap-shaped leaves to 30 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide that can take on coppery tones when grown in full sun. In early April and May bulbs produce up to 4 stems that bear 4 to 6 flowers apiece. These flowers, with a spicy fragrance, have 6 gracefully recurved scarlet-red tepals, each with a central white stripe, producing a star like pattern in the center of the flower. Plant this bulb in full to part sun and irrigate during dry summer months to maintain foliage or allow it to go dormant. This plant can thrive in heavy clays soils but it does best in colder climates if the soil drains well. This is the hardiest of the Amaryllis and can be grown in USDA Zone 7, which can experience winter temperatures to 0°F. In these climates this bulb is winter deciduous but in warmer locations it is nearly evergreen. Hippeastrum x johnsonii grows well in containers but is shy to flower unless planted in the ground. It is noted by some as resistant to deer browsing. Hippeastrum x johnsonii (formerly Amaryllis johnsonii) is commonly referred to as Hardy Amaryllis, Johnson's Amaryllis or the St. Joseph's Lily. The name St. Joseph's Lily seems the most popular name although St. Joseph's day is March 19th, nearly 1 month before this plant blooms for us. Thought to be the first hybrid amaryllis ever produced, it was the result of a cross, perhaps unintentional between Hippeastrum reginae and Hippeastrum vittata performed between 1799 and 1810 by Arthur Johnson, a watch maker from Prescot in Lancashire County, England. Mr. Arthur fortunately shared his plants with the Liverpool Botanic Garden prior to his greenhouse, and its contents, being accidentally destroyed. Hippeastrum x johnsonii made its way into cultivation in the United States by the mid 1800s and was in Santa Barbara when Dr. Francesco Franceschi performed his 1895 survey of plants being grown in Santa Barbara. While this plant is rarely offered in nurseries it can be found in older gardens and cemeteries, particularly in southern California, the southeast and in Texas. Our thanks go to Tony Avent for putting this wonderful bulb into tissue culture production and sharing it with us.
This information about Hippeastrum x johnsonii displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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