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Scadoxus nutans is a herbaceous plant endemic to southwest Ethiopia. Its red to pink flowers face downwards as the top of the flowering stem bends over, unlike any of the other species of Scadoxus. It grows mainly as an epiphyte in tropical mountain forests, which are disappearing, making the species vulnerable to extinction. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Scadoxus nutans can be cultivated where the necessary temperature can be maintained in the winter (at least 10 °C (50 °F)). In a pot it requires a very open, coarse organic growing medium. Jonathan Hutchinson, the UK National Plant Collection holder for Scadoxus, recommends the addition of lumps of tree fern stem. Pests are those of Scadoxus generally.
The genus Scadoxus is known to have some strongly toxic species, containing poisonous alkaloids. These are lethal to animals, such as sheep and goats, that graze on the plants. Other species of Scadoxus have been used in parts of tropical Africa as components of arrow poisons and fishing poisons.
Scadoxus nutans is an Ethiopian endemic. It is found in the Kaffa and Illubabor regions in the southwest of the country. It occurs only in evergreen mountain forests, between 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in elevation. Although occasionally found growing on the ground, it grows mainly as an epiphyte, with no apparent preference for the host species of tree.
Forest Fireball Lily · Rwenzori Bloodlily · Scadoxus longifolius · Dwarf Paintbrush Lily · Bloodlily · Pungwe Lily · Scadoxus pseudocaulus · Royal Paintbrush · Bloodlilies
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Scadoxus nutans by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
