It’s like a firework bursting into the midsummer night sky. How many can you launch?
Misha: This time we’ll try growing Haemanthus.
Hachibee: This flower is like nothing I’ve ever seen before! It looks like a giant red firework.
Misha: This Haemanthus is a tropical flower native to Africa, and its huge, round red flowers have a unique shape that you’ll never forget once you’ve seen them.
Hachibee: I’ve never seen anything like this before. How do they sprout, and how do they bloom? I have no idea!
Misha: It’s like fireworks. I’m getting excited even before I see them. Let’s get started!
Haemanthus “Almost Weekly” Cultivation Report
5/5 Bulb planting
Misha: Haemanthus is usually grown from bulbs.
Hachibee: It’s shaped like a small onion.
5/12 Not yet sprouted
Hachibee: Hmm.
5/19 No germination
Hachibee: Hmmmmm!
Misha: Hehe, you’re turning into an alien. Bulbs take a little longer to sprout. Let’s jump ahead in time by about a month.
6/23 Finally sprouted
Hachibee: There it is!
Misha: The bulbs sprouted about a month and a half after they were planted. They are native to Africa, after all. The bulbs sprouted as the temperature rose.
6/30 Leaves start to appear
Hachibee: Leaves are popping up!
Misha: Instead of stems, leaves suddenly pop out.
7/7 The leaves begin to open
Hachibee: The leaves are starting to spread!
7/14 A stem with buds appears
Hachibee: Oops! A stem with buds has suddenly appeared from the bulb next to it! In fact, the buds on this stem appeared before the leaves!
Misha: The stem next to it has so many leaves, but there are no buds to be seen… The growth sequence is completely different depending on the plant.
7/21 Bloom
Hachibee: Oh! It suddenly bloomed! It’s already blooming! It really does bloom in an instant, just like fireworks.
7/28 Petals falling
Hachibee: Wow, all the petals have already fallen. Wow, wow, wow, you’re doing it so quickly. It really feels like watching fireworks.
Misha: And before you know it, the next bud, or rather the sprout, starts to grow.
8/4 Bloom
Hachibee: The flowers have already bloomed! Last week they were still in bud…what fast-growing flowers!
Misha: The yellow anthers at the tips of these flowers are clearly visible, making them look like fireworks and making the colors even more beautiful.
8/11 The flowers fall and the leaves begin to grow again
Hachibee: Before I knew it, the leaves had grown to look like tropical mangrove leaves! Just as you’d expect from a plant native to Africa.
8/18 The leaves become even larger
Hachibee: The leaves give the feeling that it’s mid-summer! It would totally make a good houseplant.
8/25 The leaves begin to spread
Hachibee: The vestige of the flower next to it is starting to look tiny. I wonder how big this leaf will get!?
9/8 The leaves become huge
Hachibee: It’s starting to look like a giant fan. And before I knew it, there are fruits growing where the flowers used to be.
9/15 赤い実ができる
Hachibee: It has cute fruit like cherries.
Misha: They do appear occasionally. But you can’t eat them, and Haemanthus grows from bulbs, so they’re more for decoration. But they’re cute.
9/22 The leaves grow higher
Hachibee: It’s now a “tree.”
9/29 The stem is thick and the plant grows thickly.
Hachibee: Wow, it’s amazing. It’s got a tropical feel to it. You’re definitely from the African continent.
Misha: Haemanthus is famous for the shape of its flowers, but looking at it like this, it can also be used as a houseplant. It’s very soothing.
10/6 Fruit withers
Hachibee: Good job!
10/27 The leaves are still lush and green
Hachibee: Autumn is almost here, but the Haemanthus is still going strong.
11/10 The tips of the leaves start to wither a little.
Hachibee: It’s already November, but you’re still going strong.
12/1 The leaves start to turn red
Hachibee: Oh, the leaves are starting to turn yellow.
Misha: It seems that the weather has suddenly become cooler as we move into December, and the leaves are starting to change color.
12/8 The leaves turn red
Hachibee: Hmm, the leaves are quite vibrant, or rather the yellow leaves.
Misha: The parts that used to be flowers are turning yellow. It’s a beautiful yellow like the land of far south Africa.
12/15 Beginning to wither
Hachibee: Yes, it feels like my soul is leaving my body.
Misha: Perhaps the soul of Haemanthus has returned to the far reaches of Africa.
12/22 Wither
Hachibee: It feels like all his soul has been drained from him.
12/29 The End
Hachibee: Good job! Thank you.
Misha: It was eight months from May, and it was such a fun time, like taking a trip to Africa and getting intoxicated by huge fireworks in the night sky of the Sahara Desert.
~A word! Tips on growing Haemanthus~
Difficulty of cultivation：★★☆☆☆
Right after planting,
the leaves appear at a rapid pace,
and in early summer,
the large flowers look like fireworks.
Until early winter, the large leaves make it a fun houseplant.
It’s a robust,
high-powered tropical flower
that will make your whole year feel
like you’re experiencing the hot winds of Africa.
