Nerine bowdenii: The Autumn Pink Lily for Garden and Vase
Nerine bowdenii, often called the Bowden lily or Cape flower, is a South African bulb in the amaryllis family that sends up bare stems of bright pink, wavy-petalled trumpets in September to November, when most of the garden is finished. It is the hardiest of the nerines, happy at the foot of a sunny wall in mild climates, and as a cut flower it lasts around two weeks in a vase.
Customers in our Saint Petersburg shops usually meet nerines in autumn bouquets and ask two things: what that pink flower with the curled petals is, and whether they can grow it at home. This article answers both, from planting depth and winter care in a cold climate to choosing, conditioning and arranging the cut stems.
What Nerine bowdenii looks like and where it comes from
Each bulb produces a smooth, leafless stem 40-60 cm tall topped by a loose umbel of six to twelve flowers. The petals are narrow, crimped along the edges and curled back at the tips, with a darker pink stripe down the middle and long stamens that give the head a light, spidery look. The usual colour is a clear sugar pink; selections such as 'Isabel' are deeper, and white forms like 'Alba' exist but are less common. The strap-shaped leaves are produced separately from the flowers, so at blooming time the stems often stand alone.
The species grows wild in the Drakensberg mountains of South Africa, on rocky slopes where summers are wet and winters dry and cool. That origin explains its relative toughness compared with its cousin Nerine sarniensis, the Guernsey lily, which is described in our article Nerine sarniensis (Guernsey Lily): Flower, Care and Vase Life. The name commemorates Athelstan Cornish-Bowden, who sent bulbs to England at the start of the twentieth century, and British gardens adopted it quickly as a late-season star.
Like other members of the amaryllis family, nerine bulbs and sap contain alkaloids that can upset the stomach if eaten. Keep bulbs away from children and pets, and wash your hands after cutting the stems, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Planting and growing nerines in the garden
Plant bulbs in spring or early summer in the sunniest, best-drained place you have, traditionally a narrow bed at the base of a south-facing wall. Set them shallow, with the neck of the bulb level with or just above the soil surface, and about 10 cm apart. Deep planting is the most common reason nerines produce leaves but no flowers. Gritty, poor soil suits them better than rich, moist ground.
Nerines flower best when they are crowded and left undisturbed. A clump may sulk for a year or two after planting and then bloom more heavily each autumn as the bulbs fill the space. Water during the growing season when the leaves are green, feed sparingly with a low-nitrogen, potash-rich fertiliser, and divide only when the clump is so packed that flowering starts to fall off.
In mild winters, roughly down to minus ten degrees with dry soil, Nerine bowdenii survives outdoors with a mulch of gravel, bark or dry leaves. Wet cold is more dangerous than dry cold: a bulb sitting in waterlogged frozen soil rots. Where the ground freezes hard for months, as it does around Saint Petersburg, the garden approach does not work reliably.
Bouquets we can deliver
Growing Nerine bowdenii in pots in a cold climate
In a northern climate the practical answer is a container. Choose a pot only a little wider than the bulbs, because nerines like to be snug: three to five bulbs fit in a 15-17 cm pot. Use a free-draining mix with plenty of grit or perlite, plant with the necks showing, and give the pot the sunniest balcony or windowsill you have from late spring onwards.
Water regularly while the leaves are growing, less when they start to yellow, and let the pot stay fairly dry until the flower buds appear in late summer or early autumn. Once flowering is over, move the pot to a bright, cool, frost-free room, ideally 5-10 degrees, such as a glazed loggia that does not freeze. Keep the compost barely moist through winter and bring the pot back into warmth and light in spring.
Do not repot every year. A pot full of bulbs pressing against each other is the sign of a plant that will flower well. Replace only the top few centimetres of compost in spring, and repot into fresh mix every three to four years when the bulbs have pushed themselves out of the soil.
Nerines as cut flowers: choosing and conditioning
Nerines are among the longest-lasting cut flowers of autumn. Choose stems with one or two florets open and the rest in coloured bud; the buds open in sequence in the vase, so the head stays fresh for 10-14 days and sometimes longer in a cool room. Avoid stems where the first florets have gone papery or translucent, and check that the stem is firm all the way to the cut.
Cut 2-3 cm off each stem at an angle with a sharp knife and stand the stems in clean, cool water with flower food. Nerine stems are hollow and fairly soft, so recut them every two or three days and change the water each time. Pull off individual florets as they fade, which keeps the head looking neat and helps the remaining buds open.
Keep the vase away from radiators, direct sun and ripening fruit. In Saint Petersburg flats heating is often strong in autumn, and a nerine on a windowsill above a radiator will last half as long as one on a cool side table. Nerines are not very sensitive to ethylene, but they still benefit from cool, clean conditions like any bulb flower.
Arranging nerines and what they say in a bouquet
Because the stems are tall and leafless, nerines work beautifully in a narrow, tall vase on their own, five or seven stems together. In mixed bouquets they pair well with roses in dusty pink or cream, eustoma, astilbe, eucalyptus and autumn foliage. Their light, open heads add movement to a round bouquet of roses that might otherwise look heavy.
Nerines do not carry a fixed traditional meaning in Russia, so the message comes from the colour and the season. Bright pink reads as warmth and celebration, which makes nerines a good choice for autumn birthdays, a thank-you to a teacher or a congratulation that should look a little unusual. In the language of flowers the nerine is linked to the Greek sea nymphs, the Nereids, and is often described as a flower of freedom and good luck.
If you send flowers to someone in Russia, remember the custom of odd numbers for living recipients, as even numbers are associated with mourning. Five, seven or nine stems of nerines, or a mixed bouquet with an odd number of main flowers, is always the correct choice.
Sending an autumn bouquet to Saint Petersburg or anywhere in Russia
Pyat Tsvetov has been making bouquets since 2011 and has three of its own flower shops in Saint Petersburg: on Ilyushina Street, on the Obvodny Canal Embankment and on Srednerogatskaya Street. Nerines appear in autumn and their availability changes week to week, so if you want a bouquet with them, call 8 (812) 507-67-05 before ordering and we will tell you what is in season. You can browse the full range in our Bouquets catalogue.
We deliver across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In large cities, express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, or you can choose an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead. In Saint Petersburg we deliver around the clock.
The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arriving; if they are not at home, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the bouquet with a neighbour or concierge. Delivery is anonymous unless you sign the free card. You can pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa. Full details are on Delivery and payment.
Frequently asked questions
When does Nerine bowdenii flower?
From September to November in the northern hemisphere. The flowers appear on bare stems, often when the leaves have died back, which makes them stand out in an autumn garden.
Is Nerine bowdenii hardy?
It is the hardiest nerine and survives roughly minus ten degrees in well-drained, dry soil with a mulch. In regions with long, hard frosts, such as northern Russia, grow it in a pot and keep it frost-free in winter.
Why are my nerines not flowering?
The usual causes are planting too deep, too much shade, rich wet soil or dividing the clump too often. Plant with the bulb necks at the surface in full sun and leave them crowded.
How long do nerines last in a vase?
Around 10-14 days, sometimes longer in a cool room. Buy stems with one or two florets open, recut every few days and change the water.
Are nerines poisonous?
The bulbs and sap contain amaryllis-family alkaloids that can cause stomach upset if eaten. Keep them out of reach of children and pets and wash your hands after handling.
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