Ansellia africana

[aski]

I´ve got a Ansellia africana and can´t get it to blossom. I have it in an half shadowed window, water when it has dried out and fertilize every other time. This summer it has starting too grow with a new bulb and it´s doing well.
Anyone who can tell me what i am doing wrong?
By the whay i´m living in Sweden, if it can help you...

[henniesteyn]

here in Africa where they grow mine grows high in the trees with very little shade with no water in winter. maybe you give it too much water in winter and too much shade? good luck, Hennie

[Faan]

What Hennie is saying about shade I agree with. I have seen them in the Kruger National Park growing high up in the trees, with very limited shade and in winter they hardly get any water. Therefore give lots of light.

I must however say I have mine growing under shade cloth only and receiving lots of rain this past winter. The temperature where we live does not go below 6 degrees C. I personally do not like the spots and mine therefor is a nice yellow color with hardly any spots. It is in flower at present

At Duckitt Nurseries near Darling a lot of breeding is done with Ansellia. The variety with color forms is something to be seen. The spots vary in color as well as the lip. The plants in flower differ also in height.

The undertone is also find in yellow and some tend to be going towards white while others have a pink background.

I think we will see a lot of different color forms at the WOC to take place in South Africa 2014.

I have today seen a group of about 30 plants at a local plant nursery and I must say they all differ with the spots they have.

I trust aski will get rewarded this summer with a nice display of flowers.

[camille1585]

Hi Aski,
If you type the name in the OB search, you'll get several threads with lots of info on this plant. Also here's some stuff from iospe:
Ansellia africana

How have you been growing it? I don't have it since it's a huge plant, but what I've read about it follows what others have previously said in this thread. Being so far north, you should probably give it full southern sun outside when the temperature is ok, and behind a south window in the winter. You may even need supplemental light for it.
Also, since the plant is used to a dryish winter in its natural state, perhaps you need to reduce watering and fertilizer this winter?