Rhodohypoxis
Rhodohypoxis are not exactly alpine plants, ...
First of all, a few words about Rhodohypoxis:
Rhodohypoxis belongs to the Hypoxodaceae family and is native to South Africa.
They are low bulbous plants.
It produces numerous small, star-shaped flowers from May to October.
Flowers can be single, double or even triple.
The most common colors are pink, white and red.
In the same Hypoxidaceae family, there are also Hypoxis, often used by Africans as a medicinal plant, but of interest to us is the yellow-flowered variety.
Here are the names of three varieties with yellow flowers.
Hypoxis hygrometica, Hypoxis setosa and Hypoxis rigidula.
Professionals also use them for breeding.
Also in the Hypoxidaceae family is Rhodoxis:
This is a natural cross between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis.
They have the same requirements as Rhodohypoxis.
Habitat :
These plants grow mainly in the Drakensburg mountains of South Africa, Natal and Lesotho.
They are found at altitudes of between 1,000 and 3,000 meters.
Winters are generally dry and summers humid.
In their place of origin, they can withstand very cold but dry winters, when they are covered in snow.
In their natural habitat, these plants grow in acid to neutral soil.
Eight species are found in the wild.
Rhodohypoxis Baurii: is the common species. It is also the most commonly cultivated,
It forms mats in meadows and rocky areas up to 2900m.
Leaves are green with long, thin hairs and grooved at the end.
Flowers are white, pink or red.
Rhodohypoxis baurii var platypetala: found in dry, rocky meadows.
Flowers are usually white, sometimes pink.
Rhodohypoxis baurii var Baurii:
Grows from 5 to 10 cm high and lives at heights ranging from 1100 to 2700m.
It is found on damp grassy slopes.
Flowers are pink or white with occasional "red".
Rhodohypoxis baurii var Confecta:
Grows from 3 to 5 cm. and is found on damp grassy slopes at heights from 1900 to 2900m.
Flowers are pink or white with red.
Rhodohypoxis deflexa:
Which is a small 5cm species found in the Drakensberg where it grows in marshy grass from 2700 to 3250m.
It has remarkable leaves that grow almost horizontally.
The flowers are deep pink.
Rhodohypoxis Baurii var platypetala:
Found in dry rocky meadows.
It usually has white flowers, sometimes pink.
Rhodohypoxis incompta :
Is a short 1 to 5 cm and rare Drakensberg (KwaZulu-Natal) species with large flowers.
It is found at altitudes of 2,300 to 2,900 meters.
Its flowers are deep pink.
Rhodohypoxis rubella: lives in the Drakensberg swamps, mainly at altitudes of 2400 to 3000 meters.
The plant tends to develop many leaves.
Its flowers are dark pink.
Rhodohypoxis milloides: found in the swamps of the Eastern Cape, in the Kwazulu mountains, at altitudes of between 1,500 and 2,450 meters.
It has glabrous, light-green leaves with a main vein grooved towards the end in pink.
Flowers are deep pink.
Cultivars:
As with satsuki, there are over 400 varieties, with more being created every year.
Personally, I have 160 varieties.
Differentiating between the many varieties is a matter for specialized professionals.
Repotting :
Every two years, starting in mid-April.
Plant bulbs 2 to 3 cm deep.
Be careful, they're really tiny
An acid substrate is often recommended; a pH of 6-6.5 is ideal.
Substrate should be well drained.
If you grow them in your garden, rhodohypoxis mats benefit from being divided and reshuffled in spring every 3 years.
Location :
In the sun, if you put the plant in the shade, flowering will be less intense, but the color, in particular, of the pink and red varieties will be deeper and therefore more beautiful, it's up to you.
Watering :
The region of South Africa where Rhodohypoxis live in the wild is subject to heavy rainfall in summer, so the plants live in a very humid environment.
It therefore requires moist soil all summer long.
Don't let the substrate dry out during flowering without soaking the roots in water.
Water regularly in dry weather, otherwise the plant will freeze and stop flowering, making it difficult for it to flower again.
When flowering ceases in late summer or autumn, watering stops.
The plants are protected from winter rain and frost, and stay dry all winter long.
Fertilizing :
Monthly fertilization is beneficial.
I give a few balls of Osmocote as well as liquid organic fertilizer and sometimes foliar fertilizer when I give it to my trees.
Cold resistance :
Here, I'm probably going to surprise a few people.
As explained above, Rhodohypoxis grow mainly in the Drakensburg mountains of South Africa, at altitudes of between 1,000 and 3,000 meters.
In their place of origin, these plants can withstand very cold but dry winters, when they are covered in snow.
The eight species present in the wild, which have therefore established themselves naturally in their environment, can withstand temperatures as low as -18 degrees, if they are kept dry and in well-drained soil.
This is an important point to bear in mind for their cultivation.
Personally, I bring them inside before the first frosts (more or less October-November) and don't water them again until April-May, when I'm sure there won't be any more frosts. So, the moment I take them out depends on the weather conditions.
My Rhodohypoxis stay between 6 and 7 months without a drop of water. I water them very lightly when I put them outside, because the substrate is very dry after all this time without water. And two weeks later, the plants are in bloom.
That's what's so wonderful, it's like a rebirth, a resurrection, and that's why I love these little plants that seem so fragile.
In winter, beware of the mice that love the little bulbs.
Tiny holes, as if a pencil had been stuck into the substrate, are a sign of this.
After this novel, one might well ask why I say that these are not alpine plants.
Let me explain :
As I was saying, by alpine plants we generally mean "hardy varieties".
For most of us, saying that an alpine plant is not hardy is nonsense.
An alpine plant is hardy, whether in the ground or in a pot, but Rhodohypoxis is not.
Our winters are cold and wet (in Belgium), which makes Rhodohypoxis not very hardy in Europe.
It's not so much the cold that it fears as the humidity at root level.
What's more, as with our bonsai trees, if a variety is perfectly frost-resistant in the wild, the same cannot always be said of potted trees, and the same applies to Rhodohypoxis.
And as always, one variety is not the same as another, and the same goes for the location in which it is placed.
A rhodo placed along a wall protecting it from rain and cold winds will have a much better chance of survival than the same variety receiving rain and cold winds all winter long.
Rhodohypoxis are real little plant gems
It would be a real shame to let beginners have a hard time believing that these plants are totally hardy.
That's why I prefer to say that Rhodohypoxis are not alpine plants, even though ...
Here's a list of the 136 varieties I have at home - I haven't yet encoded the thirty or so latest arrivals.
These varieties were found by friends, on sales sites or at markets in Holland.
Rhodohypoxis Knockdolan Red
Rhodohypoxis Pearl White
Rhodohypoxis Candy Stripe
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Mars
Rhodohypoxis Jacqueline Potterton
Rhodohypoxis Clemont
Rhodohypoxis Pin Carne
Rhodohypoxis Bauriidulce
Rhodohypoxis Roman
Rhodohypoxis Marieke
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Alba
Rhodohypoxis Pat Lacy
Rhodohypoxis William
Rhodohypoxis Carrot
Rhodohypoxis Pintado
Rhodohypoxis Racberry Ice
Rhodohypoxis Carina
Rhodohypoxis Monty
Rhodohypoxis New Look
Rhodohypoxis Ellicks
Rhodohypoxis Baurii abiqual
Rhodohypoxis Baurii coconut Ice
Rhodohypoxis Eva Kate
Rhodohypoxis Orizuri
Rhodohypoxis Bauriibadger
Rhodohypoxis Milloides Drakenberg Snow
Rhodohypoxis Alk
Rhodohypoxis Pink Schot
Rhodohypoxis Indy
Rhodohypoxis Flashing Ruby
Rhodohypoxis Shell Pink
Rhodohypoxis Confusion
Rhodohypoxis Starlett
Rhodohypoxis Dusky
Rhodohypoxis Midori
Rhodohypoxis Sumer Pink
Rhodohypoxis Emely Peel
Rhodohypoxis Milloides (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Dawn
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Susan Garnet Betfield
Rhodohypoxis ‘Rosalie’
Rhodohypoxis Milloidesdamask
Rhodohypoxis Harlequin
Rhodohypoxis Stella
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Ruth
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Fred Broome
Rhodohypoxis Cathy
Rhodohypoxis Tetra Rose
Rhodohypoxis Mixed
Rhodohypoxis Baurii baurii (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Osca
Rhodohypoxis White Wings
Rhodohypoxis Rubella (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Great Scott
Rhodohypoxis Rosy Wings
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Var Confecta (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Westacre Picotee
Rhodohypoxis Deflexa (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Kitty
Rhodohypoxis Albrigton
Rhodohypoxis Tygo
Rhodohypoxis Tetra White
Rhodohypoxis Bauriipictus
Rhodohypoxis Andromeda
Rhodohypoxis ‘Pinkeen’
Rhodohypoxis Garnet
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Var Platypetala (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Wild Cherry Blossom
Rhodohypoxis Red King
Rhodohypoxis Buster
Rhodohypoxis Rubin
Rhodohypoxis Kimberly
Rhodohypoxis Goliath
Rhodohypoxis Idutywa
Rhodohypoxis Edendale
Rhodohypoxis ‘Alice White’
Rhodohypoxis Aiyan
Rhodohypoxis Balynda
Rhodohypoxis Carmella
Rhodohypoxis Loouisii
Rhodohypoxis Robin Hood
Rhodohypoxis Baurii
Rhodohypoxis Cetestyna
Rhodohypoxis Louise
Rhodohypoxis Jupiter
Rhodohypoxis Charlotte
Rhodohypoxis Suprise
Rhodohypoxis Anana
Rhodohypoxis Seedling Alk
Rhodohypoxis Alk 68
Rhodohypoxis Colina
Rhodohypoxis Barnett
Rhodohypoxis Alk 108
Rhodohypoxis Celudine
Rhodohypoxis Claudia
Rhodohypoxis Pinella
Rhodohypoxis Kaaphorn
Rhodohypoxis Milnerton
Rhodohypoxis Hawton
Rhodohypoxis Harbetsdale
Rhodohypoxis Porteville
Rhodohypoxis Dorotha
Rhodohypoxis Peddie
Rhodohypoxis Queenstown
Rhodohypoxis Red Flyer
Rhodohypoxis ‘Sarniensis
Rhodohypoxis Mistery
Rhodohypoxis Rosaria
Rhodohypoxis Jacqeuline
Rhodohypoxis Pearl
Rhodohypoxis Stella Double
Rhodohypoxis Jap Double
Rhodohypoxis Donna
Rhodohypoxis Hankey
Rhodohypoxis Alk 110_2
Rhodohypoxis Donald Man
Rhodohypoxis Melrose
Rhodohypoxis Mila
Rhodohypoxis Goya
Rhodohypoxis Hope
Rhodohypoxis Kiwi Joy
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Bridalbouqeut
RHODOHYPOXIS DOUBLE
Rhodohypoxis Melrose
Rhodoxis Garden
Rhodoxis Nippon Pink
Rhodoxis Hebron Farm Rose
Rhodoxis ‘Derk’
Rhodoxis Hybrida Aya San
Rhodoxis Aurora
Rhodoxis Summer Pink
Rhodoxis Blood Stone
Rhodoxis Pink Star
Hypoxis parvula Pink
Rhodohypoxis Red King
Rhodohypoxis White Princess
Rhodohypoxis Rose Queen
A few photos to end this long speech.
They come from this site and I don't have the rights.
You may have to delete them in a few days.
This one, much more modest, is mine.
It was taken on my return from a Dutch market.
A few more photos.
I got some small pots from Marc Bauwens (bonsai store)
Each variety is labelled.
I copy the information under the jar in case the label gets lost.
I place my "mother plants" in small cultivation pots.
I hope you can see the photos.
I think I'd better "shut up", my English is very bad, so I use a translator to write my text, but I'm not sure I'm understandable.
Rhodohypoxis are not exactly alpine plants, ...
First of all, a few words about Rhodohypoxis:
Rhodohypoxis belongs to the Hypoxodaceae family and is native to South Africa.
They are low bulbous plants.
It produces numerous small, star-shaped flowers from May to October.
Flowers can be single, double or even triple.
The most common colors are pink, white and red.
In the same Hypoxidaceae family, there are also Hypoxis, often used by Africans as a medicinal plant, but of interest to us is the yellow-flowered variety.
Here are the names of three varieties with yellow flowers.
Hypoxis hygrometica, Hypoxis setosa and Hypoxis rigidula.
Professionals also use them for breeding.
Also in the Hypoxidaceae family is Rhodoxis:
This is a natural cross between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis.
They have the same requirements as Rhodohypoxis.
Habitat :
These plants grow mainly in the Drakensburg mountains of South Africa, Natal and Lesotho.
They are found at altitudes of between 1,000 and 3,000 meters.
Winters are generally dry and summers humid.
In their place of origin, they can withstand very cold but dry winters, when they are covered in snow.
In their natural habitat, these plants grow in acid to neutral soil.
Eight species are found in the wild.
Rhodohypoxis Baurii: is the common species. It is also the most commonly cultivated,
It forms mats in meadows and rocky areas up to 2900m.
Leaves are green with long, thin hairs and grooved at the end.
Flowers are white, pink or red.
Rhodohypoxis baurii var platypetala: found in dry, rocky meadows.
Flowers are usually white, sometimes pink.
Rhodohypoxis baurii var Baurii:
Grows from 5 to 10 cm high and lives at heights ranging from 1100 to 2700m.
It is found on damp grassy slopes.
Flowers are pink or white with occasional "red".
Rhodohypoxis baurii var Confecta:
Grows from 3 to 5 cm. and is found on damp grassy slopes at heights from 1900 to 2900m.
Flowers are pink or white with red.
Rhodohypoxis deflexa:
Which is a small 5cm species found in the Drakensberg where it grows in marshy grass from 2700 to 3250m.
It has remarkable leaves that grow almost horizontally.
The flowers are deep pink.
Rhodohypoxis Baurii var platypetala:
Found in dry rocky meadows.
It usually has white flowers, sometimes pink.
Rhodohypoxis incompta :
Is a short 1 to 5 cm and rare Drakensberg (KwaZulu-Natal) species with large flowers.
It is found at altitudes of 2,300 to 2,900 meters.
Its flowers are deep pink.
Rhodohypoxis rubella: lives in the Drakensberg swamps, mainly at altitudes of 2400 to 3000 meters.
The plant tends to develop many leaves.
Its flowers are dark pink.
Rhodohypoxis milloides: found in the swamps of the Eastern Cape, in the Kwazulu mountains, at altitudes of between 1,500 and 2,450 meters.
It has glabrous, light-green leaves with a main vein grooved towards the end in pink.
Flowers are deep pink.
Cultivars:
As with satsuki, there are over 400 varieties, with more being created every year.
Personally, I have 160 varieties.
Differentiating between the many varieties is a matter for specialized professionals.
Repotting :
Every two years, starting in mid-April.
Plant bulbs 2 to 3 cm deep.
Be careful, they're really tiny
An acid substrate is often recommended; a pH of 6-6.5 is ideal.
Substrate should be well drained.
If you grow them in your garden, rhodohypoxis mats benefit from being divided and reshuffled in spring every 3 years.
Location :
In the sun, if you put the plant in the shade, flowering will be less intense, but the color, in particular, of the pink and red varieties will be deeper and therefore more beautiful, it's up to you.
Watering :
The region of South Africa where Rhodohypoxis live in the wild is subject to heavy rainfall in summer, so the plants live in a very humid environment.
It therefore requires moist soil all summer long.
Don't let the substrate dry out during flowering without soaking the roots in water.
Water regularly in dry weather, otherwise the plant will freeze and stop flowering, making it difficult for it to flower again.
When flowering ceases in late summer or autumn, watering stops.
The plants are protected from winter rain and frost, and stay dry all winter long.
Fertilizing :
Monthly fertilization is beneficial.
I give a few balls of Osmocote as well as liquid organic fertilizer and sometimes foliar fertilizer when I give it to my trees.
Cold resistance :
Here, I'm probably going to surprise a few people.
As explained above, Rhodohypoxis grow mainly in the Drakensburg mountains of South Africa, at altitudes of between 1,000 and 3,000 meters.
In their place of origin, these plants can withstand very cold but dry winters, when they are covered in snow.
The eight species present in the wild, which have therefore established themselves naturally in their environment, can withstand temperatures as low as -18 degrees, if they are kept dry and in well-drained soil.
This is an important point to bear in mind for their cultivation.
Personally, I bring them inside before the first frosts (more or less October-November) and don't water them again until April-May, when I'm sure there won't be any more frosts. So, the moment I take them out depends on the weather conditions.
My Rhodohypoxis stay between 6 and 7 months without a drop of water. I water them very lightly when I put them outside, because the substrate is very dry after all this time without water. And two weeks later, the plants are in bloom.
That's what's so wonderful, it's like a rebirth, a resurrection, and that's why I love these little plants that seem so fragile.
In winter, beware of the mice that love the little bulbs.
Tiny holes, as if a pencil had been stuck into the substrate, are a sign of this.
------------------------
After this novel, one might well ask why I say that these are not alpine plants.
Let me explain :
As I was saying, by alpine plants we generally mean "hardy varieties".
For most of us, saying that an alpine plant is not hardy is nonsense.
An alpine plant is hardy, whether in the ground or in a pot, but Rhodohypoxis is not.
Our winters are cold and wet (in Belgium), which makes Rhodohypoxis not very hardy in Europe.
It's not so much the cold that it fears as the humidity at root level.
What's more, as with our bonsai trees, if a variety is perfectly frost-resistant in the wild, the same cannot always be said of potted trees, and the same applies to Rhodohypoxis.
And as always, one variety is not the same as another, and the same goes for the location in which it is placed.
A rhodo placed along a wall protecting it from rain and cold winds will have a much better chance of survival than the same variety receiving rain and cold winds all winter long.
Rhodohypoxis are real little plant gems
It would be a real shame to let beginners have a hard time believing that these plants are totally hardy.
That's why I prefer to say that Rhodohypoxis are not alpine plants, even though ...
Here's a list of the 136 varieties I have at home - I haven't yet encoded the thirty or so latest arrivals.
These varieties were found by friends, on sales sites or at markets in Holland.
Rhodohypoxis Knockdolan Red
Rhodohypoxis Pearl White
Rhodohypoxis Candy Stripe
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Mars
Rhodohypoxis Jacqueline Potterton
Rhodohypoxis Clemont
Rhodohypoxis Pin Carne
Rhodohypoxis Bauriidulce
Rhodohypoxis Roman
Rhodohypoxis Marieke
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Alba
Rhodohypoxis Pat Lacy
Rhodohypoxis William
Rhodohypoxis Carrot
Rhodohypoxis Pintado
Rhodohypoxis Racberry Ice
Rhodohypoxis Carina
Rhodohypoxis Monty
Rhodohypoxis New Look
Rhodohypoxis Ellicks
Rhodohypoxis Baurii abiqual
Rhodohypoxis Baurii coconut Ice
Rhodohypoxis Eva Kate
Rhodohypoxis Orizuri
Rhodohypoxis Bauriibadger
Rhodohypoxis Milloides Drakenberg Snow
Rhodohypoxis Alk
Rhodohypoxis Pink Schot
Rhodohypoxis Indy
Rhodohypoxis Flashing Ruby
Rhodohypoxis Shell Pink
Rhodohypoxis Confusion
Rhodohypoxis Starlett
Rhodohypoxis Dusky
Rhodohypoxis Midori
Rhodohypoxis Sumer Pink
Rhodohypoxis Emely Peel
Rhodohypoxis Milloides (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Dawn
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Susan Garnet Betfield
Rhodohypoxis ‘Rosalie’
Rhodohypoxis Milloidesdamask
Rhodohypoxis Harlequin
Rhodohypoxis Stella
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Ruth
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Fred Broome
Rhodohypoxis Cathy
Rhodohypoxis Tetra Rose
Rhodohypoxis Mixed
Rhodohypoxis Baurii baurii (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Osca
Rhodohypoxis White Wings
Rhodohypoxis Rubella (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Great Scott
Rhodohypoxis Rosy Wings
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Var Confecta (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Westacre Picotee
Rhodohypoxis Deflexa (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Kitty
Rhodohypoxis Albrigton
Rhodohypoxis Tygo
Rhodohypoxis Tetra White
Rhodohypoxis Bauriipictus
Rhodohypoxis Andromeda
Rhodohypoxis ‘Pinkeen’
Rhodohypoxis Garnet
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Var Platypetala (Wild)
Rhodohypoxis Wild Cherry Blossom
Rhodohypoxis Red King
Rhodohypoxis Buster
Rhodohypoxis Rubin
Rhodohypoxis Kimberly
Rhodohypoxis Goliath
Rhodohypoxis Idutywa
Rhodohypoxis Edendale
Rhodohypoxis ‘Alice White’
Rhodohypoxis Aiyan
Rhodohypoxis Balynda
Rhodohypoxis Carmella
Rhodohypoxis Loouisii
Rhodohypoxis Robin Hood
Rhodohypoxis Baurii
Rhodohypoxis Cetestyna
Rhodohypoxis Louise
Rhodohypoxis Jupiter
Rhodohypoxis Charlotte
Rhodohypoxis Suprise
Rhodohypoxis Anana
Rhodohypoxis Seedling Alk
Rhodohypoxis Alk 68
Rhodohypoxis Colina
Rhodohypoxis Barnett
Rhodohypoxis Alk 108
Rhodohypoxis Celudine
Rhodohypoxis Claudia
Rhodohypoxis Pinella
Rhodohypoxis Kaaphorn
Rhodohypoxis Milnerton
Rhodohypoxis Hawton
Rhodohypoxis Harbetsdale
Rhodohypoxis Porteville
Rhodohypoxis Dorotha
Rhodohypoxis Peddie
Rhodohypoxis Queenstown
Rhodohypoxis Red Flyer
Rhodohypoxis ‘Sarniensis
Rhodohypoxis Mistery
Rhodohypoxis Rosaria
Rhodohypoxis Jacqeuline
Rhodohypoxis Pearl
Rhodohypoxis Stella Double
Rhodohypoxis Jap Double
Rhodohypoxis Donna
Rhodohypoxis Hankey
Rhodohypoxis Alk 110_2
Rhodohypoxis Donald Man
Rhodohypoxis Melrose
Rhodohypoxis Mila
Rhodohypoxis Goya
Rhodohypoxis Hope
Rhodohypoxis Kiwi Joy
Rhodohypoxis Baurii Bridalbouqeut
RHODOHYPOXIS DOUBLE
Rhodohypoxis Melrose
Rhodoxis Garden
Rhodoxis Nippon Pink
Rhodoxis Hebron Farm Rose
Rhodoxis ‘Derk’
Rhodoxis Hybrida Aya San
Rhodoxis Aurora
Rhodoxis Summer Pink
Rhodoxis Blood Stone
Rhodoxis Pink Star
Hypoxis parvula Pink
Rhodohypoxis Red King
Rhodohypoxis White Princess
Rhodohypoxis Rose Queen
A few photos to end this long speech.
They come from this site and I don't have the rights.
Rhodohypoxis - Hogendoorn
Rhodohypoxis est une plante idéale pour un balcon, une terrasse et un jardin de rocaille.
www.rhodohypoxis.com
This one, much more modest, is mine.
It was taken on my return from a Dutch market.
A few more photos.
I got some small pots from Marc Bauwens (bonsai store)
Each variety is labelled.
I copy the information under the jar in case the label gets lost.
I place my "mother plants" in small cultivation pots.
I hope you can see the photos.
I think I'd better "shut up", my English is very bad, so I use a translator to write my text, but I'm not sure I'm understandable.
