Re: Naked Ladies
Interesting.... I looked up both bulbs in Taylor's Guide to Bulbs and they
look quite similar. One originates from Japan (the Lycoris squamigera) and
the other from South Africa. According to Sunset Western Gardens, both
bloom after the leaves have died down.
Sunset says that Lycoris squamigera grows in all zones and blooms in
August as does Amaryllis belladona (in practice, my Amaryllis naked ladies
started blooming in early July here in San Diego), though it is not rated
for Sunset zones 1-3. Also, Sunset mentions that both will overwinter in
colder regions if the bulbs are planted 6 inches deep in a protected
location, against a south wall (that's usually the warmest wall of a
building). Sunset gives the common name for Lycoris as "spider lily,"
whereas Taylors call them "magic lily." Both refer to the Amaryllis
belladona as "Naked Ladies." This is a great example of why we need
botanical names....
Whatever those bulbs are, enjoy them. By the way, as mentioned earlier in
this discussion, Amaryllis belladonna tends to delay bloom for a few years
after they are moved or divided.
Nan
>>We have somthing called Naked Ladies here in California that sounds
>>similar. The foliage preceeds the flowers, though I've never had as many
>>blooms on a stalk as you describe. Ours grow well in full sun and need
>>almost no care, they naturalize in old gardens. I believe that the
>>botanical name is Amaryllis belladonna.
>
>A friend of mine just brought me some bulbs from northern California that
>he says they always called Naked Ladies or amaryllis. Here in the midwest,
>Naked Ladies are generally what we call Lycoris squamigera. The bulbs
>looked pretty much the same. I planted them several months ago and expect
>to see blooms as the bulbs were large enough. The lycoris are blooming in
>the garden now, but nothing from the California bulbs, but maybe
>transplanting upset their timetable.
Nan Sterman, Master Composter in residency
San Diego County, California
Sunset zone 24, USDA zone 10b or 11
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