How to grow: Amarcrinum

John Hoyland shares advice on growing this hybrid that will bring a zing to your garden

Some plants are more talked about than grown. Since bulbs of Amaryllis belladonna first arrived in Europe at the beginning of the 18th century, its pale-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers have been admired, painted and photographed. Very few of us, however, manage to grow it. A need for fertile, well-drained soil and a hot summer, a wet spring and a dry winter makes for a fussy plant. Only gardeners in Cornwall, the west coast of Ireland and parts of south-west Scotland have any hope of growing it well.

Fortunately Amaryllis belladonna is promiscuous and hybridises with other genera. The offspring, while not trouble-free, are better adapted to British gardens. Mating A. belladonna with Nerine sarniensis, the Jersery lily, produced amarines, while an encounter with brunsvigia gave us amarygias.

The most rewarding of these intergeneric hybrids is amarcrinum, a cross between Amaryllis belladonna and Crinum moorei. It is rare for offspring to inherit only the most favourable traits of their parents, but amarcrinum has the best qualities of each and none of their shortcomings.

The flowers that dangle from bare stems (hence their North American name of naked ladies) make Amaryllis belladonna a startling sight that can be difficult to incorporate into the garden. Amarcrinum is much more floriferous and retains its foliage while flowering. The fresh apple-green leaves soften the thick stems, making the plant sit more easily among shrubs and herbaceous plants than Amaryllis belladonna.

Anyone who grows crinums will know that while their scented flowers are delightful, the straggly leaves quickly turn ragged and ugly. Amarcrinums keep the delicate scent of the crinum but without the tatty foliage. On established plants, each stem produces between 10 and 15 flowers over a two-week period.

Taxonomists and botanists often disagree on the correct naming of hybrids. Amarcrinum has had a variety of names, but according to the RHS Plant Finder, its current correct name is x Amarcrinum memoria-corsii. You may also find it under its former name of crinodonna. A form known as x Amarcrinum memoria-corsii 'Howardii' is widely available. Its flowers are said to be a darker pink, but to my eye, the difference in colour is negligible.

Whatever the correct name, amarcrinums are wonderful plants, their late flowers bringing a zing to the garden at this time of year. With the garden clothed in the golden and russet hues of autumn, the bright pink flowers of amarcrinum sing out.

Amid the decay and fading foliage, here is a plant that harks back to the razzmatazz of high summer, warm evenings and scent-filled borders.

Good companions

The candy-floss froth of Stipa tenuissima provides a soft nest for amarcrinum flowers. Many grasses are too tall for amarcrium to grow through in this way but can be used as a background. Mine grow in front of a clump of Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'; the upright form of the grass echoes the strong stems of the amarcrinum. If you want to see the stems clearly, try underplanting it with a prostrate plant such as Sedum 'Bertram Anderson'.

Where to buy

Cotswold Garden Flowers, Sands Lane, Badsey, Evesham, Worcs WR11 7EZ (01386 422829; www.cgf.net). Mail order available. Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.

Pioneer Nurseries, Baldock Lane, Willian, Letchworth, Herts SG6 2AE (01462 675858; www.pioneerplants.com). Mail order available. Open 9am to 5pm daily (Sunday, 10am to 4pm).

Growing tips

• Amarcrimuns should be planted in the green about 10cm (4in) deep in a rich, free-draining soil. They are greedy plants, so dig over the area you are planting them in, incorporating as much compost as you can; don't be tempted to just fork a little into the planting hole. The bulbs are long-lived and will form large clumps, so enriching the soil around them will help them spread. If your soil is heavy, add fine-grade horticultural grit.

• Amarcrinum grow well in wide, deep pots but will need occasional feeding with a liquid fertiliser in the spring. For the bulb to flower well, the compost should be kept moist during the spring and summer. In cold winters, bulbs grown in pots are at risk of freezing, so are best stored in a greenhouse after flowering. Make sure the compost is kept dry during winter, but never allowed to dry out completely.

• New plants can be made by removing the offsets that grow around the parent bulb. However, amarcrinums dislike being disturbed and will sulk if they are dug up, refusing to flower for a year after being replanted.

Reader offer

Gardening readers can buy three x Amarcrinum memoria-corsii 'Howardii' for £12.95, or six for £19.90. Please send cheques/postal orders to Telegraph Garden Service, Dept TL649, 452 Chester Road, Manchester M16 9HL. Or call the credit/debit card line on 0161 848 1106, quoting ref TL649. Top-sized bulbs will be sent in February 2006 to all UK addresses, except the Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland.

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