Blood Lily/Football Lily Scadoxus multiflorus, Haemanthus multiflorus

The Blood lily (Scadoxus multiflorus) is a rhizomatous, evergreen perennial that is native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The most distinguishing feature of this plant is its flower-head. Its former name, Haemanthus translates to blood flower, referring to the color. Although they bloom for only a week or two, when they’re in full flower, the Blood lily makes quite a conversation piece in the garden. Topping off each 8- to 10-inch tall plant is a huge spherical orange-red umbel of nearly 200 tiny flowers. Each plant will produce only one of these magnificent flower-heads in a season. This short-lived, yet, spectacular sight takes place in mid to late summer. The blood lily enjoys full sun, but its blooms tend to last longer and perform better when given partial or light shade. Blood lily is planted just below the ground in well-drained, humus-rich soil and prefers to be left undisturbed for many years. The blood lily also likes plenty of water during active growth, but doesn’t enjoy water-logged soils, so try not to over water. In rainfall areas, it has no trouble surviving, provided it is in a well-drained area.