Cyanella hyacinthoides
L.
Amaryllidaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Lady's Hand
General Information
Cyanella hyacinthoides is a Bulb up to 0.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
S. Africa.
Habitat
Mostly found on clay and granite slopes, often in renosterveld[
282- Title
- The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs
- Publication
-
- Author
- Manning. J. Goldblatt. P. & Snijman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press, Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-547-0
- Description
- Excellent treatment of these plants, with good descriptions, habitat etc. Lots of high quality colour photographs.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Bulb |
| Height | 0.30 m |
| Pollinators | Bees |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a light sandy soil. Requires a very warm sunny position in a very well-drained soil, it is best grown at the foot of a south-facing wall or in a south-facing bed. Plants have deeply seated corms and are very drought resistant once established[
282- Title
- The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs
- Publication
-
- Author
- Manning. J. Goldblatt. P. & Snijman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press, Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-547-0
- Description
- Excellent treatment of these plants, with good descriptions, habitat etc. Lots of high quality colour photographs.
].
Plants are not very frost hardy, but they can be grown outdoors in the milder areas of the country if given a good mulch[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plant the bulbs 15cm deep in autumn to flower in spring or in the spring to flower in the summer[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Lift the bulbs when they die down, dry them and store in a cool place until it is time to replant[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
Flowers are produced in 3 - 4 years from seed[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Bulb - cooked[
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. An onion substitute.
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow the seed thinly in the autumn in a greenhouse so that it will not be necessary to thin the seedlings. Once the seed has germinated, grow on the seedlings in the same pot for their first year[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
], giving an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not become mineral deficient. Pot up 2 - 3 small bulbs to a pot when the plants are dormant and grow them on in a greenhouse until the bulbs reach flowering size. Plant them out in the spring, after the last expected frosts.
Division of offsets when the plants are dormant. Larger bulbs can be planted straight out into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
