page_title: Nerine
section_title: Cultivation
hierarchical_section_title: Nerine / Cultivation
caption_attribution_description: English: Frontispiece to William Herbert's Amaryllidaceae Shows variety of amaryllids, including one of his hybrid nerines (N. mitchamiae). Hessea, Strumaria (Strumaria truncata) etc. For legend, see Plate XLIV
context_page_description: Nerine is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are bulbous perennials, some evergreen, associated with rocky and arid habitats. They bear spherical umbels of lily-like flowers in shades from white through pink to crimson. In the case of deciduous species, the flowers may appear on naked stems before the leaves develop. Native to South Africa, there are about 20–30 species in the genus. Though described as lilies, they are not significantly related to the true lilies, but more closely resemble their relatives, Amaryllis and Lycoris. The genus was established by the Revd. William Herbert in 1820.
  Nerines have been widely cultivated and much hybridized worldwide, especially Nerine bowdenii, N. sarniensis and N. undulata. The hybrid cultivar 'Zeal Giant' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The other 20 species are rarely cultivated and very little is known regarding their biology. Many species are threatened with extinction due to the loss or degradation of their habitat.
context_section_description: Breeding and hybridisation of Nerine began as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century with the work of William Herbert. A number of the species of this genus are cultivated as ornamentals, such as N. sarniensis, N. undulata (N. flexuosa) and Nerine bowdenii. N. sarniensis is, probably, the best known species of the genus and it has been cultivated in Europe since the beginning of the 17th Century. N. bowdenii  was introduced to England at the end of the 19th Century and used as an ornamental since the first decade of the 20th Century. Along with Nerine bowdenii they have been extensively used in plant breeding programmes that have produced the majority of the commercially available hybrids. The hybrid cultivar 'Zeal Giant' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
  The bulbs of Nerine species need a minimum of two years growth and development in order to produce their first flowers. The largest bulbs can give rise to two stems or more if they have been grown under suitable conditions. They are used as cut flowers as they can survive up to 14 days in a vase with water without showing any staining.
caption: William Herbert's hybrid, N. mitchamiae (left) from Frontispiece to his Amaryllidaceae 1837
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