Continuing our journey in this world of exquisite beauty we take up the Amazon lily, Eucharis amazonica, native to Peru and Central and South America, from Guatemala south to Bolivia. It is also known as the Cup-and-saucer lily. Eucharis belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family.
Amazon lilies are easy to grow. They thrive in shady places and can even be grown as indoor plants. Here is Wikipedia's excellent article on cultivation.
"It is propagated by removing the offsets, which may be done in spring, potting them singly in 15 cm pots. It requires good loamy soil, with enough sand to keep the compost open, and should have a good supply of water. A temperature of 18° to 20°C during the night, and rising to 25°C in the day. During summer growth is to be encouraged by repotting, but the plants should afterwards be slightly rested by removal to a night temperature of about 15°C, water being withheld for a time, though they must not be left dry for too long, the plant being an evergreen. By the turn of the year they may again have more heat and more water, and this will probably induce them to flower.
With a stock of the smaller plants to start them in succession, it is possible to have plants in flower all the year round."
This is a special presence in the landscape for the wide, rich green strap-like leaves that are equally at home in containers as in the ground. For me the site of the first scapes with their umbels of 30 to 10 sweetly fragrant pure white flowers are a profoundly mystical experience, for Mother has given a very special name this to this flower, "Light without Obscurity".
Mother comments: "All-powerful in its simplicity."
Eurycles has had a name change and is now Proiphys amboinensis but as Shakespeare said, in Romeo and Juliet,
Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Proiphys - is from the Greek proi, early and phyo, to bring forth, which alludes to the seeds that germinate very early while on the plant.
Proiphys amboinensis is another easy-to-grow bulb native to Thailand, Indonesia, the philippies and Queensland and western Australia. It prefers a lightly shaded area and requires a considerable amount of water but the milk-white flowers borne in umbels are lovely. It too is in the Amaryllidaceae family. The rounded leaves are also beautiful.
Mother's significance: Silver
Mother's comment: "White and manifold, it aspires for spirituality."
Narad (Richard Eggenberger)
Copyright 2016