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Surprise Lily, Magic Lily, Naked Lady
Lycoris squamigera

The summer rain has come with a vengeance. The ground is soggy and everything is growing faster than we can keep it trimmed. But there is always a delightful surprise in store of us this time of year... Naked Ladies popping up all over our yards.

I just adore that name! They are fleshy and female as they wave demurely in the morning breeze.These bulbous plants belong to the amaryllis family and are native to southern Japan.

"The 5 to 7 pink 4 inch long trumpets are produced atop the pale, naked three foot tall stems and always remind me of a flock of flamingos standing in a shallow pool at Disney World. The flowers are sterile and do not develop seed pods.

The bulbs are as long as three inches in diameter with long necks and persist for years once established. The foliage comes up in late winter and looks like a large-leafed clump of daffodils, but without flowers. There will be one bloom for about every 10 leaves produced by the clump. The leaves die away with the arrival of the first warm days of late spring, usually disappearing below ground by late May. This growth pattern is an adaptation of the species to survive in an area with moist springs and prolonged periods of summer drought.

Magic Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) first appeared in the American garden trade in about 1880, but they have been cultivated for centuries in Japan.

Magic lilies are easy to grow, doing well in any average garden soil in full sun or partial shade. They are sold in both the spring and the fall in garden centers. If plants are to be divided from a friend’s garden, dig the plants after the blooms fade in September. They require no fertilization and, as far as I have seen, are bothered by no pests.

Using magic lilies in the landscape is a bit of a challenge because they are so stark when they flower. Probably the best way to use them is mixed in a groundcover bed where their nakedness will not be an apparent. The planting should include 10 to 12 bulbs scattered over at least 5 linear feet of bed area. When the plants are in bloom, the length of the planting should be at least twice as long as the plants are high."
Gerald Klingaman, retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals

EXPLORE January 18, 2009 #301 - Thank you!!!!!!

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission... © All rights reserved!


Two brooms were hanging in the closet, and after a while they got to know each other so well they decided to get married.

One broom was, of course, the bride-broom, the other the groom-broom.

The bride-broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom-broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.

After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, 'I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!'

'IMPOSSIBLE !' said the groom-broom.

'WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER'



EUCHARIST LILY
The exquisite “Eucharist lily”, also known as “Amazon lily” (Eucharis grandiflora), is a member of the Amaryllis family and was originally collected along the Rio Magdalena. It is a low bulbous plant with broad, glossy green basal leaves. The glistening white flowers are starlike or trumpet-shaped and delightfully fragrant. They are borne in clusters of 3-6 blooms on a 2 ft tall fleshy stalk. The Eucharist lily is a tropical plant enjoying moist-warm conditions. It does not like cold nights, so a minimum of 60 F is required even in the winter. If conditions are favorable, it will bloom several times a year. This can be achieved by alternating resting and growing periods. By drying off to some extent, for a few weeks, a crop of flowers can be induced at almost any season, providing the bulbs are strong enough and the foliage is not completely lost.

The Eucharist lily prefers bright indirect light or semi-shade. Water liberally from spring to autumn. Water moderately in winter. Sponge leaves occasionally to increase air humidity. Repot in spring every 3-4 years or as needed. To propagate, detach offsets or bulblets from mature plants in summer, keep warm and water sparingly until growth starts.

Most flower in the Spring and Summer..... this one of mine has always bloomed in January~


Please view on the LARGER size~