Re: Lycoris
- To: s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: Re: [SG] Lycoris
- From: B* S*
- Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 08:52:51 -0400
>Has anyone tried any Lycoris in a shade garden?
>
Lycoris radiata does poorly in shade here in Virginia, but naturalizes and
increases rapidly in sunny spots (this morning on my way to work I enjoyed
an old bed along the roadside that must be producing 200
bloomstalks--probably has been there for decades). I think the summer
dormancy is a response to summer drought, not to a lack of sun when the
trees leaf out.
By the way, such commercial operations as Van Bougondien are now offering
quite a variety of Lycoris species and hybrids. Some of the hybrids are
said to be tetraploids in the catalog copy.
Back in Florida, these were called Hurricane Lilies because of their season
of appearance. Around Gainesville 30 years ago, L. radiata was very
commonly grown, also a yellow species.
Speaking of fall-flowering bulbs, we have a massive clump of Sternbergia
lutea here on our campus that is growing around the base and exposed big
roots of a large maple. Scores of blooms every year, and it gets mowed
quite regularly by our unobservant groundskeepers. The spot is heavily
shaded in summer but gets good sun during the winter when the foliage is
active. Again, this clump is probably decades old--the house near the tree
dates back to 1810.
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
