Flowers A to Z - Nerine Lily

Nerine Lily

Botanical Name :	Nerine spp.
Common Name :	Nerine, Guernsey Lily, Spider Lily
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	ne-REEN
Family Roots :	Member of the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis family). Native to South Africa. Common relatives include agapanthus, alstroemeria, clivia and daffodil.
Personality :	Individual flowers are composed of 6 ruffled strap-shaped petals. Flower clusters are round, 4-6 inches in diameter, consist of 6-12 flowers and occur at the ends of stems. Stems leafless, 16-28 inches long. Plant is a herbaceous perennial from a bulb, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined.
Availability :	Most times of the year.
Flower Color :	White, pink, deep red.
Decorative Life :	10-14 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Varies
Ethylene Comments :	Depending on the species and/or cultivar, ethylene sensitivity varies from none to moderate. To be safe, treat with an anti-ethylene product.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. However, some data suggests that fresh flower food may not be necessary. Can be chill sensitive. Some cultivars are sensitive to fluoride levels normally found in drinking water.
Storage Specifics :	One research report indicates that 45-50F is best and that it can be stored dry for 4-5 days. Another researcher states that 37-41F is best for storage of 3-5 days but higher temperatures (up to 50F) can be used if stored less than 3 days. Everyone agrees that they are somewhat chill sensitive and therefore should not be stored in the low 30s. Dry storage is better, especialy for flowers that are not too open.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Do not cut too tight as flowers (especially the youngests buds) will not open properly most of the time. A good time to cut is when just before the most mature bud opens, namely, full grown but not opened.
Tidbits :	After Nerine, a sea nymph and daughter of Nereus in Greek mythology. Species used for cut flowers include N. bowdenii (bright pink), N. flexuosa, N. sarniensis. Cultivars include 'Cherry Ripe', 'Pink Distinction', 'Pink Fairy', 'Radiant Queen', 'Salmon Supreme' and 'Virgo'. Similar to the genus Lycoris, namely, leaves are actually produced after the plant flowers, but not until the following spring, which to some means that leaves are produced first! See More Hoogasian Flowers A to Z at: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html