Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Nerine
Nerine bowdenii
Leave the bulbs crowded and undisturbed in full sun, and your nerines will light the fall border with pink.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 7–10
14–20 in · 36–51 cm
Overview
Nerines have a lovely knack for flowering just as the rest of the garden settles down for the year. These South African bulbs send up bare stems in fall, each one crowned with a loose cluster of pink, lily-like blooms whose narrow petals wave a little at the edges. Don't worry if the strappy leaves seem to come and go on their own timing, often before or after the flowers rather than with them, since that is simply how they work.
You have picked a forgiving one in Nerine bowdenii, the hardiest of the bunch, which takes cold down to about 25°F (-4°C) and settles happily into a sunny border across zones 7 through 10. It grows from a bulb that likes its neck resting above the soil line rather than buried, and getting that small detail right is a big part of what helps it flower.
Once it is planted well, this bulb asks very little of you. Offer it full sun, sharp drainage, and a clump it can crowd into, then mostly step back and let it be. The one mistake to sidestep is fussing with constant lifting and dividing, since that trades away the very flowers you were hoping for, and thankfully it is an easy habit to skip.
Care
The short version: give it full sun, sharp drainage, and a bulb set shallow with its neck above the soil. Water through the growing season, keep things dry while it rests, and leave the clump crowded and undisturbed, and you are set.
Light
Give your nerines full sun and they flower with real willingness, though a touch of afternoon shade is fine by them. All that sun through the growing season is what builds the bulb and sets up the next round of blooms, so resist tucking them into a shady corner.
Water
Water freely while the leaves are up and growing, then let the bulbs dry out once they slip into dormancy. The plant handles drought with ease but still wants steady moisture through its growing season, with a drink roughly every 5 to 10 days when things run dry.
Soil
Settle the bulbs into rich, well-drained loam with a good helping of organic matter mixed in. Sharp drainage is what matters most, since it is bulbs sitting in soggy ground that tend to rot, so this one small thing goes a long way.
Temperature
Nerine bowdenii is the hardy one, weathering cold down to about 25°F (-4°C) and warmth up to roughly 86°F (30°C). Once you dip below 25°F (-4°C) the bulbs can be hurt, so a layer of mulch or a pot you can move helps them through colder winters.
Humidity
Everyday outdoor humidity suits them just fine, so there is no number to worry over. These are dry-country bulbs at heart, and they care far more about good drainage than about moisture in the air.
Feeding
Feed with a dilute balanced fertilizer while the leaves are actively growing, once or maybe twice across the season. Once the bulb goes dormant you can put the feeding aside entirely, since it isn't drawing anything up just then.
Pruning
Snip off the spent flower stalks after they bloom, then let the foliage yellow and fade back on its own. That tired-looking leaf is quietly feeding next year's bulb, so try not to tidy it away too soon, however tempting it looks.
Repotting
Since these bulbs flower best when crowded, you can happily leave them undisturbed for several years at a time. Only lift and replant them when the bulbs start pushing up to the soil surface or flowering tails off after a long, good run.
Size & spacing
The stems climb to 14 to 20 inches (36 to 51 cm) tall, while the slim leaves spread just 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) across. Set the bulbs in close so they can knit into the crowded clumps they love.
When to plant
Nerines keep a fall schedule, so there is a natural rhythm to follow. Set the bulbs out in spring with the neck sitting above the soil, water them steadily through the growing season, and their flower stems rise in fall, from September into November.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: sow fresh seed when ripe; seedlings take 3-4 years to flower
- Plant: spring, with the bulb neck above the soil line
- Harvest: fall (September to November)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 7–10
Temperature: down to -18°C
Troubleshooting
Most nerine hiccups come back to the bulb itself, whether it has been disturbed, kept too wet, or found by a pest, and the good news is they are usually fixable. Find what matches below, then step in while the bulb is still firm and healthy.
Bulbs gone soft, hollow, or mushy
A bulb that has turned soft or feels hollow is usually the work of narcissus bulb fly larvae, which burrow inside and eat away at it, or it has simply rotted from sitting in wet soil while dormant. Gently lift the bulbs and look them over for grub tunnels and soft patches. Toss any that are tunneled or mushy without a second thought, ease off watering the moment the bulb rests, and settle the sound ones into soil that drains more freely.
Fix:
- Discard infested or rotted bulbs
- Withhold water while bulbs are dormant
- Improve drainage of the growing medium
Lots of leaves, still waiting on flowers
If your nerine is pushing out healthy leaves but holding back the flowers, take heart, because the cause is almost always a bulb that was moved or split not long ago, and a fresh division commonly costs one season of bloom. Sometimes the clump is simply too roomy and content, since these bulbs flower most when they crowd shoulder to shoulder. Leave it be, keep it in full sun all through the growing season, and the blooms find their way back.
Fix:
- Leave clumps undisturbed and allow them to become crowded
- Site in full sun during active growth
- Avoid unnecessary division
White cottony fluff tucked into the leaf joints
Those soft white, waxy tufts settling into the leaf axils and around the bulb neck are mealybugs, and honestly every nerine is a tempting target, so this is nothing to blame yourself for. Dab the little clusters away with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then give the plant a follow-up round of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Set the affected plant aside from its neighbors until it looks clear again.
Fix:
- Wipe off colonies with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate affected plants
Toxicity
It is safest to treat the whole plant as poisonous. Just like its daffodil and amaryllis cousins, nerine is full of lycorine and related alkaloids, and the bulb holds the most of all. Swallowing any part brings on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, so keep the bulbs away from pets, livestock, and children, and take care never to mistake them for onions in the kitchen.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A curious cat that chews on any part may start to drool and then bring it back up, with loose stools following before long. Since the bulb holds the most lycorine, a bulb dug up out of the ground is where the real worry lies.
Dogs Toxic
Dogs that unearth and chew the bulbs get hit hardest of all, with heavy drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. A dog that gulps down a whole bulb may stay unwell for hours, so keep those bulbs out of digging reach.
Horses Toxic
Those same alkaloids trouble a horse's gut too, stirring up drooling, colicky discomfort, and diarrhea. Keep any trimmings and lifted bulbs safely away from paddocks.
Rabbits Toxic
Rabbits should never be allowed a nibble of the leaves or bulbs, which leave them drooling and with a sorely upset tummy. This is simply not a plant to let them browse.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals like cattle, goats, and sheep can be poisoned by both the foliage and bulbs, showing salivation, vomiting where they are able, and scouring. It is worth fencing the bulbs off from anywhere stock can wander.
Birds Toxic
The lycorine in the plant is not safe for birds, so it is kindest to keep pet and poultry birds well away from the leaves and bulbs entirely.
People Caution
No part of a nerine is meant for the plate, and the bulb especially can bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea if swallowed. Keep little ones from mistaking the bulbs for onions, and give your hands a good wash after handling them.
Keep bulbs and plants away from pets and children; the bulb is the most toxic part.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most nerines you will come across are pink, but a handful of named forms are worth getting to know for their color or size.
Alba
A gentle white-flowered form for anyone who wants a break from the familiar pink nerines.
Mark Fenwick
A sturdy, reliable pick loved for its strong stems and warm, rich pink blooms.
Pink Triumph
Rewards you with noticeably bigger flowers than the plain species does.
How to propagate
You can grow more nerines by lifting off the little bulbs they make or, with a bit of patience, by raising them from seed.
Offsets & pupsEasy
After flowering or during dormancy · May delay blooming for a year after separation
The friendliest way to grow your nerine family is to lift a crowded clump once it has finished flowering or while it rests dormant, then ease the offset bulbs off the parent. These bulbs would rather not be disturbed and love being crowded, so only part them when the clump is truly packed, and don't fret if the pieces take a season off before blooming again.
DivisionModerate
After flowering or during dormancy · Often skips a year of bloom after division
An overgrown clump can be split after bloom or during dormancy, though it is kindest to do so only now and then. The bulbs are happiest left alone, so a freshly divided clump often skips a year of bloom while it settles in and then picks right back up.
SeedDemanding
Sow fresh seed when ripe · 3-4 years until seedlings flower
Raising nerines from seed is a patient labor of love. Sow the large, fleshy seeds while they are still fresh, since they will not keep, and settle in for the wait of 3 to 4 years before a seedling grows up enough to flower.
Myths
Nerine bulbs must be divided regularly to keep them blooming.
Rest easy on this one, because these bulbs dislike being moved and bloom their best when they sit packed together. Splitting them on a schedule works against you and usually costs a whole year of bloom. Only reach for the spade when a clump has genuinely run out of room.