Plant of the Week
Surprise Lily,
Magic Lily, Naked Lady
Latin: Lycoris squamigera
With the arrival of August, gardeners throughout the state are delighted to
see their gaudy and somewhat ungainly surprise lilies come into bloom. These
bulbous plants belong to the amaryllis family and are native to southern Japan.
The five to seven pink four 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. It was originally misidentified and sold under the name Amaryllis
halli. The name "halli" probably refers to Dr. George R. Hall of Bristol, RI
who spent time in Japan after the Civil War, collecting plants and seeing to the
opthomological needs of the Japanese. Hall introduced many Japanese plants into
the US, the most noteworthy from an Arkansas’ perspective being Japanese
honeysuckle which has escaped cultivation and can be found throughout the state
in waste places.
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.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist
- Ornamentals
Extension News -
August 1, 2003
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