![]() ![]() fragrant, and a good cutting flower.īloom: Late Summer and Fall Foliage: Late Winter and Early Spring When the bulbs are planted in clusters, the surprise lily can be a showstopper. Consider these bulbs as a container planting, border, patio planting, meadow, or woodland setting. It would be best to incorporate these bulbs in a mixed ground cover or flowerbed so that their starkness will not be so readily apparent. This plant is triploid or has 3 sets of chromosomes instead of 2, which results in it being sterile. They may need to be divided about every 3 years. The surprise lily is propagated by division, but they will not bloom the first year after being divided since the bulbs need to establish new roots. To protect them over winter, it is best to apply about a 2-inch layer of mulch. The bulbs will suffer cold injury when temperatures drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant does not need pruning, just simply remove the spent foliage and stems. Transplanting should be avoided since this plant dislikes being disturbed. They grow best in well-drained, fertile soils, and they should be watered sparingly during the rest period and moderately during their growing season. ![]() When planting, bury bulbs to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. The specific epithet, squamigera, means "bearing scales." This references the small scales on the flower petals that cause an iridescent sparkle. The foliage appears in the spring and then dies in the summer, and the plant flowers appear to rise from the dead by late summer on naked stems. Many of the common names originate from the bulbs' unusual growth habit. The plants in this genus are commonly known as the resurrection flower, surprise lily, or magic lily. The genus name, Lycoris, honors the Roman actress and mistress of Marc Anthony. It was originally, mistakenly identified, and sold as Amaryllis halli. ![]() It has been available in the United States since about 1880. The surprise lily is native to Southeast China, Japan, and Korea and is found in moist disturbed areas in valleys and along streams. In late summer to fall, the surprise lily emerges like magic and produces 5 to 7 four-inch pale pink trumpet-like blooms atop the 2-foot tall stalks. The foliage emerges in late winter to early spring with silvery gray greenish strap-like leaves that measure 12 inches long and 1 inch wide and grow in clumps. The surprise lily is a perennial bulb in the Amaryllis family, and it is the hardiest of all the plants in the Lycoris species. The bulbs are about 3 inches in diameter and have long necks and can persist for many years once established. Phonetic Spelling LY-kor-iss skwah-mih-JER-uh This plant has low severity poison characteristics. ![]()
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