I'd always heard about surprise lilies and always wanted one...
Apparently I traded for some, and forgot all about them. I did notice a clump of strappy leaves this Spring, and couldn't remember what they were...
But, when the foliage disappeared as it grew hotter, I just figured "whatever it was" I had killed it, lol...
Imagine my "surprise" when this shoot appeared seemingly overnight.
...and MAN! do they SMELL GOOD!
-t
Very nice....They look alot like crinadonnas or the old fashioned dayliilies that are yellow except yours are a lovely pink! How tall are they? Did you get any rain up there? Think that had anything to do with the bloom? Interesting plant; do you know the scientific name?
The scientific name is lycoris squamigera. Here is a link about them:http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/lyco_squ.cfm
Yes, I do think the rain had something to do with it, because all my rain lilies started blooming the same day, too...
From what I've read, the first part of July is their typical time to bloom.
-T
None of my rain lillies are blooming yet...well give them a while after this "spell" of rain. Nice bulb; I have crinadonnas been doing good. Love bulbs that will naturalize in the south!
What fun! They sure are pretty!
I love surprises in my garden! Very lovely.
This is the kind of surprise you like to have in the garden! Beautiful!
I love those. I've always heard them called "Naked" Ladies because they are leafless when they bloom.
Hello,
is that not Amaryllis belladonna ( naked lady)?
I think Amaryllis belladonna is a brighter pink and more trumpet like - the petals overlap. It's hard to tell the difference though. Pictures of each are below....
http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=Amaryllis%20belladonna&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=Lycoris%20squamigera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Good job Stacey, I have some of those too, but they are not up yet.
I'd wondered the difference before and had to look at pics to figure it out. I think I like the Amaryllis belladonna better from looking at the pics though I have wanted both.
I planted some lycoris squamigera at the old house a couple years ago and they had not bloomed yet. I did not dig them up, though I probably should have because the new owners already removed that bed and put in grass. :(
Staci-
I have ALL of those...you may be able to sweet-talk me out of some, if you come by for a visit, lol...
The belladonna are a little nicer/prettier, with broader petals, and love to bake.
The others don't have to be in as hot or sunny a spot.
My L. sprengeri are supposed to be pink and edged in BLUE. They are just now losing their foliage, so hope I can take some pictures soon...the ones I've seen on the web are fantastic!
So sad GRASS is in place of your beds! Argh!
-T
This message was edited Apr 28, 2006 8:56 AM
Thanks Taylor! Give me a couple weeks to get past some stuff I have going on and I am going to D-mail you and hold you to the offer. :) I'd love to see your yard in the spring.
Me too, about the grass. I think I am going to do what Terrie suggested and hire some of the day laborers to come out and rip the grass up in a couple weeks. I just need to lay out the plan and show my DH so he will agree to it. My shade bed is starting to come together though, so at least I have had something to concentrate on.
Question for Seedpicker TX:
do you plant these bulbs in full sun the whole day, like southern exposure? I have 12 bulbs that need to be planted in the ground. I was going to plant them in my shade bed under oak trees, until I read your posting above. Shall I plant them in full sun now?
BTW, I found your picture yesterday when I was looking for info on pink jasmine. Don't know why it showed up there. Sure glad it did, though. Funny what info one finds in this forum. Thanks.
Sita-
Can you be specific as to which bulb you are referring to? We've mentioned three different kinds in this forum, and I don't want to give you the wrong information.
-T
Seedpicker TX,
sorry, my brain seems to work faster than my fingers....:). Mine are the belladonnas. Would appreciate your info.
Whereabout are you in Plano? I lived in Plano from 1983-1991. In 1983 Coit Road was just a little bitty country road. Moved out of Plano in '91 when it became a monstrosity. We found some land about 60 miles due east of Dallas. It has everything I ever wanted, some open area, some covered with native trees, a stream running through it. It is my little piece of paradise. There is about 5 acres that neede to be landscaped, so a lot of info is needed.
Sorry for writing so much, but I sort of know Plano rather well. Thanks for replying.
Sita-
I basically live on the east side of 75 across/opposite from the Collin Creek Mall...just about 5 minutes from the the Plano square.
I have only 1/2 an acre, but for Plano, that is a lot, and is about all I can handle! lol...I think landscaping and keeping up with 5 acres would kill me, lol...
The belladonnnas are actually an amaryllis, while the surprise lilies are Lycoris. Both can be referred to as naked ladies, and both have similar habit & flowering, so it can be confusing.
Basically, the belladonnas are more cold sensitive, and heat tolerant. They require more sun, and better drainage.
They lycoris are several zones hardier, and can tolerate half sun. Their drainage doesn't have to be as sharp. Our alkaline clay seems just fine for them.
Belladonnas appreciate some ammending: chick grit, sand, pea gravel, or even landscape mix are all great additions to help improve the drainage/aeration. Cold and WET winters will rot them.
Cold wet winters don't seem to affect the lycoris...
In a nut shell: Belladonnnas need heat, and good drainage. They are prettier, but have more requirements
Lycoris are tough, easy, and not fussy at all, but they are a little less showy.
I also read that belladonnnas need a little of their neck poking out of the soil. Lycoris can be buried deeper.
I had an interesting "chat" with a Dr. of botany a while back, and we were discussing the bulbs that did, or did not do well in TX. He said belladonnas need to bake like in an oven. He said close to pavement or brick, was best, so they could obtain the retained heat from the conctrete/brick and the reflected heat, also.
Also, Belladonnas have very large bulbs, and I believe they can get much larger than lycoris bulbs. Some of my bellas are grapefruit size, while the lycoris are usually 1/2 to 1/3 that size.
I've tried the bulbs in different arrangements, but I want to share with you, what I liked best. Since they lose their foliage, you can be left with a bare spot. And, while you are waiting for the foliage to die, it can be pretty unsightly for a bit. Interplanting with a groundcover helps to hide the dying foliage and prevent any bare spots. So after learning this from my first planting, I then put some under a groundcover.
This way, you always have coverage, but then periodically, you have blooms and foliage pop up. The groundcover I used was convolvulous sabaticus. It is a low, spreading gray/green groundcover with little periwinkle colored morning glory-type flowers.
It is fully evergreen for me, and one of my very favorites.
-T
Taylor--beautiful pics! I have some Crinadonnas (cross between Amaryllis and belladonna) which should be blooming soon.
Debbie
Deb-
Never heard of those...,please be sure and post pictures :0)
-T
Hello Taylor,
thank you very much for the extensive info, for which I am most grateful. Now, if I have any questions about amaryllis, lycorice or crinum I know where to go.I planted my bulbs in units of 3 in four different places, maybe I can find where they like to grow.
Five minutes from the square, you said? You must be in East Plano. Lucky you, 1/2 an acre is huge in Plano. I used to live on Rolling Ridge, between Jupiter and FM544. Nice place, but too near the neighbors. Where I am now, the nearest neighbor is 1/2 mi away. Live here with 4 pyrenees, 1 border colli and about 200 peafowl and other pheasants. Check my website if you have time www.birdfarm.net
Got to go to finish my planting. You have a nice day and thank you again.
Sita
Enjoyed your album!...lots of nice birds!
I'm a bird lover, too. I don't have them on the scale that you do, but I do have chickens and an aviary full of mostly small blue doves, and many different types of finches.
-T
