Photo: no rights reservedCC0 1.0via iNaturalist
Blood Lily Plant Care
Scadoxus multiflorus Raf.
Updated · Sources · How we source care data
Scadoxus multiflorus is a species of bulbous plant native to most of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia to South Africa. It is also native to Arabian Peninsula and to the Seychelles.
Every 7–10 days
Bright indirect to partial shade
60–80°F
50–70%
At a glance
How do you care for Blood Lily?
Water Blood Lily every 7–10 days, letting the top layer of soil dry out between waterings, and give it bright indirect to partial shade. It prefers temperatures of 60–80°F (16–27°C) and 50–70% humidity. Fertilize it every 6 months during the growing season. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it out of reach of pets.
Where Is the Blood Lily Native To?
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Djibouti
- DR Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- The Gambia
- Togo
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
What Is the Blood Lily?
Blood Lily (Scadoxus multiflorus) belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family within the Scadoxus genus. Blood Lily is native to most of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia to South Africa. Blood Lily is also known as African Blood Lily, Pincushion Lily.
Blood Lily displays a clumping perennial growth habit, reaching up to 1.5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 1 ft. Blood Lily produces showy clusters of red or orange flowers on tall stems.
Leaf size: approximately 12 inches.
How Often Should You Water a Blood Lily?
Scadoxus multiflorus requires watering every 7–10 days. Allow the top layer of soil to dry between waterings to prevent root rot. Reduce watering frequency during winter when growth slows.
Watering Frequency
Every 7–10 days
Let soil partially dry between waterings
What Light Does the Blood Lily Need?
Blood Lily thrives in bright indirect to partial shade. Avoid placing Blood Lily in direct, harsh sunlight for extended periods, as this can scorch the foliage.
Light Requirement
Bright indirect to partial shade
What Temperature and Humidity Does the Blood Lily Prefer?
Scadoxus multiflorus grows best at temperatures of 60–80°F. Blood Lily prefers humidity levels of 50–70%. A pebble tray or humidifier helps maintain adequate moisture around the plant.
Temperature
60–80°F
Humidity
50–70%
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Blood Lily?
Well-draining, rich soil with added organic matter like compost or peat moss. Good drainage is essential for Blood Lily to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Often Should You Fertilize a Blood Lily?
Feed Blood Lily every 6 months during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced fertilizer diluted to the strength on the label.
Pause feeding in autumn and winter, when growth slows, and never fertilize dry soil — water first.
Fertilizing
Every 6 months
During the growing season
The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.
How Do You Repot a Blood Lily?
Repot every 2-3 years in spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a Blood Lily?
Blood Lily can be propagated through division of offsets, seeds.
Is the Blood Lily Toxic to Pets and Children?
Toxic to cats and dogs
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center plant list. View the ASPCA entry
Toxic to humans and pets if ingested
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the Blood Lily?
Blood Lily is susceptible to aphids, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
What USDA Hardiness Zone Does the Blood Lily Need?
Blood Lily grows outdoors in USDA Zone 13a. It survives winters down to planting zone 13a. Blood Lily is native to most of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia to South Africa. In cooler regions, grow Blood Lily as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.
Hardiness Zone
Zone 13a
Keep exploring plants
Blood Lily is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Scadoxus genus — compare its care with other Scadoxus species on PlantoScan.
Scadoxus is part of the Amaryllidaceae plant family — browse all Amaryllidaceae genera and species.
Blood Lily thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.
Related Plant Care Guides
Closely related plants with similar care requirements:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Scadoxus multiflorus Raf., family Amaryllidaceae (first published in Fl. Tellur. 4: 19 (1838)) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record, Wikidata.
- Pet toxicity: The ASPCA lists Blood Lily as toxic to cats and dogs. Source: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List.
- Photo: Public domain, CC0 1.0, iNaturalist — original.
- Hardiness zone: USDA Zone 13a, calculated from the plant's minimum temperature.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.
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