What is this plant?

Michele K.Koskinen




On a recent visit to Cape May I observed a plant that had no leaves, a tall stalk, and flowers like a lily. I asked the owner of the home and she explained they were perennial amaryllis and they were in the garden when she purchased her house.. They grow leaves in the spring that die off, and magically, the stalk and the flower appears in August. She also said many of the older homes have them in abundance so they must have been planted years ago.

Finding a plant I have never seen is always fun. They could be very common but often overlooked or not spectacular but new to my eye. What is this plant?

Thank goodness for phone camera's. Web search to the rescue....

This plant belongs to the Amaryllidacae family. 

It is planted in the fall with the tulips and other spring bulbs. Leaves appear in the spring, die off, and the flower does not bloom until August.

It is cold hardy and naturalizes by bulb offsets.

It is an heirloom bulb from 1882 and probably brought        from China.

It is often called resurrection lily,naked lady, spider lilly,

autumn amaryllis, and magic lily. 

There are 13 to 20 species in this family.  

They are a great companions to perennial foliage plants that have already bloomed.

Readings of interest:
chicagotribune.com/
wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycoris_(plant)
missouribotanicalgarden
franklincountymgs.blogspot


My name is  Lycoris squamigera   If anyone has this plant share a photo on our facebook page. Did you purchase it or was it in the garden when you purchased your home?                  

Reblooming Iris....... Surprise!!!!!!!

Michele K. Koskinen

Spring Bloom with Huerchera

My garden has gone into the August stage of few perennials blooming and the fall look of foliage far too early. This has been a strange year for my perennials. Many bloomed too early and were finished by the beginning of August. Some did not look happy with the early heat and some I lost in the June storm.


But, a mid August surprise. Tucked in behind the "never die" Sedum and Coreopsis I have a beautiful Bluish Iris blooming again. Where did this come from? I then remembered getting a plant from a swap with another gardener last year. It bloomed beautifully in the spring I had no idea it would give me pleasure twice this year. It's fragrance is soft and sweet, and the palest wisteria and white with a pale yellow tongue.

Sedum and Coreopsis in fall

It is a breath of spring in the doldrums of mid hot August. I have looked high and low but there are thousands of iris and I have no idea the name of this beauty. Oh well, it does not matter I love it anyway and will look at replacing those I lost with reblooming ones next year.

Favorite flower: Aquilegia or Columbine

 By Linda Grimwade

We have these interesting hybrids in a variety of colors in all our flowerbeds, but have not tried eating them.

Information from Wikipedia:

The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle (aquila), because the shape of the flower petals, which are said to resemble an eagle's claw.
"Columbine" is derived from the Latin word for pigeon (columba). Another old-fashioned name for this cottage garden plant is "Granny's Bonnet" as the shape of the bloom resembles the mob caps old women used to wear.


They are used as food plants by some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) caterpillars. These are mainly of noctuid moths – noted for feeding on many poisonous plants without harm – like Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae), Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae) and Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis). The Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia), a geometer moth, also uses columbine as larval foodplant.
Several species are grown in gardens, including the European Columbine (A. vulgaris), a traditional garden flower in many parts of the world. Numerous cultivars and hybrids have also been developed as well.

They are easy to propagate from seed.
Columbine is a perennial, which propagates by seed. It will grow to a height of 15 to 20 inches. It will grow in full sun, however, prefers growing in partial shade and well drained soil, and is able to tolerate average soils and dry soil conditions. Columbine is rated hardiness of Zone 3 so does not require mulching or protection in the winter.
Large numbers of hybrids are now available for the garden, since the British A vulgaris was joined by other European and N American varieties.  Aquilegia species are very interfertile, and will self sow.