While the peak season for crinum lilies is May-July, there’s always quite a few blooms in late summer and even into early fall, before our first frost turns the foliage and remaining flowers into green slime. Here are a couple of clones that stood out in the garden this week. The first is Crinum ‘Bright
We’re just wrappping up the midseason of the Lycoris (Surprise Lily) flowering season, that runs from August 11-August 25. This typically wraps up the last of the spring-foliage species and hybrids, and takes us through the middle part of the fall-leaved species and hybrids. Lycoris aurea is one of the most tender of the Lycoris
Midsummer Surprises Read More »
Because we ‘ve had an abnormally wet summer, the rain liles of the genus Zephyranthes and Habranthus have been blooming up a storm, and the insects that feed on them, like Tiger Swallowtail butterflies, are everywhere. Within 2-4 days after a rain, during the summer months, the clumps burst forth with an amazing floral show.
When Life Gives you Rain, Grow Rain Lilies Read More »
One of many incredible plants discovered by our garden staff, is an amazing selection of the native (NC to Arkansas and south to Florida) Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis, found by Jeremy Schmidt on a 2012 botanizing trip through Alabama. We’ve always loved this August-flowered spider lily, but the extraordinary floriferous nature of this discovery outshines
The Queen of Flowers Read More »
It’s lycoris time at JLBG, as we’re just wrapping up the early part of the flowering season (July 15-August 10). Most of the early blooming surprise lilies are the spring-foliaged species and hybrids. Typically, there are only a few of the fall-foliaged selections that flower during this early period. Sadly, most gardeners have only grown
The Season of Surprises Read More »
I doubt that even most native plant enthusiasts have grown the amazing spring-run spider lily. Hymenocallis rotata hails from only a few counties in north to central Florida, yet has thrived in our garden. The narrow leaves emerge alongside the 18″ tall flower stalk in mid July, which terminates in 2-4, pure white, large, nocturnally
Spring-run Spider Lily Read More »
In flower in mid-July is the rare, woodland crinum lily, Crinum moorei ‘Moore Stripes’. This is the only striped leaf crinum lily that we’ve found to be stable. Our only regret is that it doesn’t offset faster.
This Crinum earns its Stripes Read More »
One of the early surprise lilies to start off the summer flowering season is Lycoris x incarnata ‘Blue Pearl’, in flower now at JLBG. This cross from Japanese bulb breeder, Dr. Shuichi Hirao, is a hybrid of two of the most winter hardy species, Lycoris longituba and Lycoris sprengeri. After flowering, the plant will remain
In full flower now is our patch of Agapanthus ‘Ever Amethyst’, from the agapanthus kings, De Wet agapanthus breeders in South Africa. This has been an exceptional performer in our trials. For us, agapanthus flower after the spring floral flush, and before the summer flowering plants begin, providing a great early summer filler. We will
Amazingly Amethyst Read More »
Here is a photo of one our many superb rain lily selections, Zephyranthes ‘Summer Snow’. This is Not an exceptional display but a perfectly typical display that follows most every rain event in the summer. The rain lilies do not flower continuously but burst forth periodically over the many frost-free months of the year. One
Room for One More? No way! Read More »
