I’m eight-tenths of a master gardener now. Which means I’m just slightly more dangerous in the garden than I was before. Last night’s class was all about propagation and we got to do some hands-on grafting activities, which was fun. There was also a presentation on dividing bulbs and other plants, and some hand-out bulbs! I was keen to take home some of these Naked Lady bulbs. (They’re also known as Surprise Lily or Magic Lily.) They bloom in the summer, from long stems that shoot up literally overnight, but they leaf out in the winter, which is a bit odd. They should be placed in the garden landscape along with something else that provides some greenery at blooming time. I’ve never had any of these before, and they will make an interesting addition to the daffodils, irises, and lilies I’ve discovered everywhere. I’ve found the gardens around the house and studio to be full of wonders, and this is my first addition.
Eight-Tenths
Apr
27
27
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brookdale says:
How exciting! What color will your new flowers be?
Here’s a site to see more info on your new lycoris:
https://www.plantingflowerbulbs.com/lycoris-the-magic-lily.htm
On April 27, 2012 at 7:50 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
brookdale, they’re pink.
On April 27, 2012 at 7:58 am
angkm67 says:
I love my surprise lilies! However, they don’t leaf out in the winter here in Illinois. They leaf out in the spring and the leaves die back about the start of summer. Then out of the blue, when you are about tired summer, out shoot these alien stems with pretty pink flowers on the ends.
On April 27, 2012 at 7:54 am
TeaCup says:
Thanks Suzanne, I’ve never heard of these! My dad grew orchids in Southern California when I was a kid. DH & I moved to the desert, then Florida, then New England, and I’ve done gardening in all those places. Never heard of these!
Now I know what to add to the daffs and jonquils I’m putting on the edge of the lawn. The idea is less lawn to mow, part of it is just beauty, and a definite requirement is that the plants basically take care of themselves.
Thanks again —
TeaDup
On April 27, 2012 at 8:10 am
Barbee says:
I know them as Resurrection Lilies. My old plants make heavy foliage that could smother anything close to them. They are beautiful when they bloom!
On April 27, 2012 at 8:51 am
wvbetty says:
Suzanne, you will love these lillies. You don’t see them around here very much — very unusual-looking but quite lovely.
On April 27, 2012 at 8:56 am
rurification says:
You’ll love them! We have loads of them out here. Very old stock, passed around forever. It’s common to see them in fields where old houses used to be. It’s funny to see them marching through someone’s lawn, bare stalks, no leaves. We’ve put ours next to the peonies. [I like leaves with my flowers.] These bulbs multiply well and love to be divided. You’ll have loads in no time at all.
On April 27, 2012 at 9:05 am
langela says:
I have mine planted near my daylilies. They leaf out in the spring in Iowa and then die back. Then in later summer they shoot up a naked stalk and bloom. Having them around my daylilies gives them cover for their nakedness.
On April 27, 2012 at 9:10 am
VaGirl2 says:
They are also called Hurricane Lilies because they bloom in late summer after a soaking rain (same time we usually have hurricane rains). Mine leaf out after they bloom, then the green leaves die back in late winter. Last season, mine didn’t bloom at all because it was very dry here in central VA, but the leaves did come out. I hope they bloom this year!
On April 27, 2012 at 9:20 am
rhubarbrose says:
I love these “naked lady lilies” and need to add them to my garden! My mother had them and she had a saying about them – something like when it blooms in Spring – it’s 6 weeks till summer and when it blooms in Fall – it’s 6 weeks till the first snow (or something like that??). Oh, how I wish I had paid more attention to those “old” sayings!
On April 27, 2012 at 10:02 am
Flowerpower says:
Suzanne I think you could be dangerous anywhere you are. You have more get up and go than anyone I know of. You will try anything at least once! :happyflower:
On April 27, 2012 at 10:11 am
countryfarmgirl says:
When we firstd visited our current old farmhouse, it was August. The 2nd time we visited the house, these ethereal lilies had sprouted almost overnight. Now that we’ve been here a year, I’ve watched the transformation twice, from foliage to nothing to blooms. The closest I could come to identifying them are Spider Lilies. The flowers are identical.
On April 27, 2012 at 10:53 am
Estella says:
I have a number of these—they smell heavenly when in bloom.
They are also called Hardy Amaryllis.
On April 27, 2012 at 3:39 pm
yvonnem says:
This is so funny….I was just thinking about these flowers on my drive home from work this evening! I had never seen them until several years ago when we moved to Tornado, WV. A lot of people have them in this area. I did a search last summer to find out what they were called, but couldn’t for the life of me remember today. Then I got home and read this post….perfect timing! They are unusual looking, but beautiful.
On April 27, 2012 at 4:59 pm
LucySue says:
I love my naked ladies! Mine came from my grandmother’s garden. She grew them as long as I can remember and I am 50 now. I love seeing them peek out in the summer. The leaves come out in spring here in Oklahoma, too, and the flowers pop out in the summer.
On April 27, 2012 at 6:05 pm
alba says:
Susanne you will love painted Ladies all my leafs are up now I wait till the turn yellow or brown then i clean them up usually end of June first part of July you get these beauties blooming I always have a patch that I can cut for my Fresh flower bouquet .
Enjoy.
Ann/alba.
On April 27, 2012 at 8:36 pm
holstein woman says:
I was always told all the different names for them, but naked ladies always stuck with me. I have seen them mostly in California when I lived there. They seem to grow anywhere. I enjoy them in cut arrangements in the house.
On April 27, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Jen says:
I love these. They bloom in August/September here. I love how they just pop one day.
On April 27, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Auquachick says:
I love these lillies also. I had seen them a few times in July or August over in Gandeeville at an old farm house. I kept telling my mom about them. I even spotted some near our place in Jackson County. Then my lovely neighbor gave me 2 bulbs! I am excited to see them in my WV yard!
On April 28, 2012 at 2:23 am
Karen Patrick says:
Where I come from those are called “Resurrection Lillys (lillies?)” Spellcheck doesn’t like it either way. The leaves come up in very early spring and then die back completely. Months later, in high summer, the blooms come up on long stalks that come out of the ground almost overnight. The ones in my yard and here in Indiana are all a lovely pink. I’ve never seen them in any other color. I dug some up a couple of years ago to plant something else in their spot and they continued to grow in the compost pile. They are very sturdy plants.
On April 28, 2012 at 8:54 am