Lycoris squamigera (Naked Lady Lily)

Several homeowners here in the neighborhood have these lilies and I have alway been intrigued by their alien-looking nature. They are dramatic and striking when they suddenly arise in the garden without any leaves at all. I am planning on looking up some bulbs locally for this Fall’s bulb planting season. These could be quite interesting when co-planted with my pink roses.

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Lycoris squamigera.jpg
Lycoris squamigera” by Namazu-tron – Self Shot. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Lycoris squamigera (resurrection lily) is a plant in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae.[2] It is also sometimes referred to as naked ladies. It is believed to have originated in Japan or China, perhaps a hybrid between Lycoris straminea and Lycoris incarnata.[3] It is now cultivated as an ornamental in many places, and naturalized in Korea.[4]

 Lycoris squamigera It is a herbaceous plant with basal, simple leaves, which are not present when the flowers emerge from the crown. The leaves sprout and grow in the spring, then die back during June. Then in late July or early August the flowers appear. The flowers are white or pink and fragrant. The flowers spring dramatically from the ground in mid to late summer; it usually takes only four to five days from first emergence to full bloom.[5] This suddenness is reflected in its common names: surprise lilymagic lily, and resurrection lily. — Wikipedia

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Previously in the Interesting Plant series: 

Interesting Plant is a series from A Gardener’s Notebook blog and podcast that highlights the most interesting plants I find in my Internet and real-world travels — Douglas