Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Tropical Garden # 95, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Lin, there were amaryllis in the garden when we bought this house. Judging by its location, it's one of those. No clue.

I've bought and planted out a few different ones. I got one called 'Black Pearl' for my daughter Christmas before last. She had them bloom beautifully that year, then the next spring I brought them home, and plunked them in the garden. They have some good foliage but no flower scapes yet. Can't wait!

Some of them have definitely crossed or reverted because one year they are the hybrid color, and the next they are solid colors. They seem to revert to all red, or all white.

I agree they are short-season things, but I'm setting them amongst Texas Longleaf jasmine groundcover. They make a nice surprise in the spring, then just supply textural contrast with the big bold foliage the rest of the year. Some cannas and gingers are amongst the jasmine, too. It seems to limit their spread but they still bloom nicely. I just give them extra water when it doesn't rain.

Plus of course the milkweed pops up throughout. Once the caterpillars have eaten them to a nub, I cut them back and they hide in the groundcover until they bloom again in fall.