With very few exceptions, Hippeastrum species are self-sterile and require two different clones to set viable seed.

Thanks. I wonder if Exotic Star would be a good match as it is supposedly a cross between two species, might it be worth a try for the second flower?

Yes, in my experience 'Exotic Star' performs as a diploid. I say "performs" because I don't have an electron microscope with which to definitively confirm the ploidy of this papilio hybrid. However, I can say that your chances for obtaining viable seeds by crossing [H. nelsonii x Exotic Star] should be good if the timing and conditions are favorable.

Thanks! I do happen to have some Exotic Star pollen that is only about 2 months old, so papilio and Exotic Star it shall be..by the way, the nelsonii flowers appear that they are going to be larger than I thought they would be although I've never seen one in in bloom other than in pictures!☺☺

You are most welcome. I'm looking forward to seeing photos!

Donna , I tried papilio (fresh pollen ) and chico (fridge pollen) on my nelsonii , and both pollination failed ! I hope you'll have more chance than me.

Recently I tried nelsonii on papilio, and it seems it is ok and nelsonii on Chicco is OK too !

Thanks for the information. I do finally have a Chico sending up a stalk so I will try nelsonii on Chico but I don't like working with Chico's small seeds, but of course beggars can't be choosers..Now if only one of my papilios would bloom, but at the moment, that seems very unlikely!☺☺Donna

OK guys, here she is!! Sorry I removed the pollen but I didn't want to take any chance contaminating her two flowers!

Donna

..and her eye...

Beautiful!! They are just stunning!! A wonderful person in GW sent me these bulbs, and I will wait on mine.. Meantime yours are breathtakingly beautiful.. Thank you for posting..

Wow Donna that is a beauty!! Good luck with your crosses. I hope you get some good seeds. I'll be waiting 3 years to see the photos.

Very pretty. It looks like it's enjoying a nice spring day!

Ooooh - Thank you for the wonderful photos!!!

Just gorgeous Donna! It certainly makes a statement!

Beautifull Donna , please keep us update with your pollination results !

lovely! Thanks for sharing!

Many thanks to ALL of you, and now I am just enjoying the flowers waiting for them to be ready for pollen, but not just yet. I must say when they were coming out I was a bit dismayed at their strange shape and then over night they just opened up and Wow!!!!

orchid-grower

You have a beautifull flower

What a special flower Donna. Good for you! I see I am beginning to green up a bit! Geez I hate that envy! :)

Those are wonderful, Kristi! Can anyone tell me where a bulbil of this species is available? I thought that Telos might have it, but no luck.

Good luck with the crosses!

--Rick in CT

@ Rick: Komoriya Nursery in Japan has been the only source in the past few years.

Rick...it's Donna's bulb, not mine! She's made her crosses. Hope all our fingers are crossed.

K

Oops! :-)

Rick..I'm laughing...Donna and I are really two people, joined by this hippi habit. I think we will all be looking for this bulb now!

Yes Rick, this little Gem is mine ;-)

So, I've done the dirty deed, I 've made my crosses and this is my strategy:

I've selfed both flowers in the off chance that it might work because all I really would like is more of these!! But, along with the self, on one I also mixed papilio pollen, and the other I put Exotic Star. If I should hit the jackpot and get viable seeds, it shouldn't be difficult (when they bloom haha) to see what the cross was!! This way I've doubled my chances... hopefully.

I still have some pollen and I have a Chico that will bloom soon so I will try that cross also, not much else coming so I will freeze the remainder for hopes for another time. My bulb was small so I seriously doubt that there will be another scape. If I am successful in keeping this bulb happy during the coming year, I will most definitely buy another from Komoriya if they are again offered! I paid $50 for this one...☺☺☺

Donna

<< ...Donna and I are really two people....>>

Are you sure?? No one's ever seen you two in the same place/same time...

<g>

$50 doesn't really sound that bad, considering. I'm guessing it's a clone?

Sort of on the same subject: is there a compendium of some sort that describes hippi species, and tells the few that are self-fertile? I keep bugging people trying to find out....

Thx,

--Rick

Neat! Do you have anymore aulicums to bloom? I also found another, it was where you picked the above one up, that was labeled nelsonii x Green Dragon from someone named Alain's flicker or photobucket but I couldn't locate it again. Well so far, my two flowers aren't indicating that they are particularly enamoured with any of the pollen I picked out....☺☺

well....I will use it wisely!

Rick , I have young bulbs of nelsonii... but I am overseas !

Agapanthe64--I sent you an email.

--Rr

Go to the username of the person you want to message, and if they have set it up, there should be a big message button in their photo banner on their homepage. I posted a message here about how to set up messaging as both parties need to be enabled. Go back 2-3 pages...

Hi Everyone,

Well, here we are 6 months later and my nelsonii is still growing beautifully. I just noticed a few weeks ago that there seems

to be what I think are roots, not offsets growing out of the pot near the base of the bulb. I assume these are roots and that this bulb is telling me that it wants a larger pot!! So what do you think, are these roots and if they are and I repot this bulb should I cover these roots with soil which will bring the soil level up to about half of the body of the bulb. I don't want to make any mistakes with this precious bulb; this was by far the best purchase that I made from Komoriya and I made a lot!!!☺☺☺Donna

Dearest Donna,

Those look like roots to me. Could the soil have become compacted? I suggest gently coaxing the bulb out of the
pot to check its root system. Then, you
will be able to determine if it actually needs a larger pot, or if it just needs to have
those new roots covered with fresh medium.
Whatever you do, please make sure that you provide your Bolivian gem
with a growing medium that is loose, aerated, and well drained.

Hugs,

Blanca

Thanks Blanca. I rather thought those were just roots but fantasized that they might be offsets, but I knew better. I will need four hands to do this properly, two to hold the leaves so they don't snap off! I'll have to enlist hubby's help. My guess is that it does need to be repotted as it is in a smaller sized pot.

I just soaked the last of her seeds that had been refrigerated for about 5 months and all germinated. She made 2 large seedpods chock full of viable seeds and has viable pollen, what a plant!! ☺☺☺Donna

Yes, H. nelsonii is indeed a splendid species! Best wishes for the repotting project.