[doganjo]

I have loads of these - they are very pretty and are bulbs, They keep multiplying but just look like a whole lot of leaves till the flowers come out in spring. What are they?

[jaykay]

Strelitzia?

[Fleecewife]

Strelitzia?

Funnily that was the name that jumped into my mouth when I saw the pics, although I've not consciously ever seen one 
Pretty flowers.

[doganjo]

No it's not the Bird of Paradise.  Much smaller and slighter than that.  Try again folks

[Possum]

It looks like a Hesperantha. You occasionally see them in sheltered gardens in the south-west, but I think they can be grown indoors as well. I think they come from South Africa.

[doganjo]

Nope, not that either - doesn't have orange flowers, in fact it has bracts rather than flowers.

[happygolucky]

Not sure of the scale but it looks like a type of lilly to me, Heloconia (spelling maybe wrong) or could it be just a hybred plant.....?

[doganjo]

It's a bulb and it is a type of lily, I'm pretty sure of that and I said it in the heading.  The flower hangs down when open and it is very thin.   At the moment I have 8 of them I think.  They multiply like daffodil and crocus bulbs - bulblets grow from the side. and if not planted out separately they don't flower.  The flower spike is bright pink till it gets to about  foot long then it opens and a few flowers come out and hang down, the flowers are two tone green and pink.

If I take one up for you could your brother work out what it is if you send him one of the flowers?  It;'s really annoying me not knowing what it is.

[happygolucky]

I can try to send him a photo but he is having internet problems just now, you could always drop the flower through the letter box for me to post on but he is even more a loner than RUSTY....he would hate me giving anyone his address, I tell him to join this forum loads of times, he would love some of the debates and the funny thing is he often says the same things as lots of other people on here...anyway, hope you do not get sleepless nights over not knowing what it is, I had that tree that turned out to be a sort of plum cherry...no fruit much on that last year!!!

[Greenerlife]

I'd got one of those!  No idea what it is - although mine usually"flowers" just after Christmas.

[doganjo]

Ok - you've all failed that test! 

I hjave too - I'm beginning to think it isn't a lily after all after scanning through all of these images - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lilies+images&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=BIlmUbbfJYbYOYvhgLAE&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=775

So I'm off down to Tillycoultry with a pot to see what the garden centre experts make of it.
And I'm not daft enough to lose sleep over it but it has bugged me for years not knowing what it is.  I don't even remember who gave me the first one, but boy is it prolific! 

[doganjo]

Eureka!

bromelliad bilbergia.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.north-florida-garden-guide.com/images/billbergia-flr.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.north-florida-garden-guide.com/billbergia.html&h=400&w=267&sz=17&tbnid=WDo2KvARPDajNM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=75&zoom=1&usg=__FcBG-Wp-Z8D0aPWFi6exnCfVL7I=&docid=KtzbmSl4wf8YwM&sa=X&ei=tptpUeqdLoS_O9uugYgK&ved=0CDIQ9QEwAQ&dur=276

[happygolucky]

Beautiful, a very elegant and unusual plant!!

[doganjo]

It's apparently prolific in Florida - grows like a weed my friend said.   My sister asked me if they would be OK outside here - don't think so somehow!    But since I have so many of them I think I'll give it a go.