Surprise!! Surprise!!

[Tom]

When I first moved to this place, about 5 years ago, there were these little flowers that would just suddenly jump up out of the ground over night it seemed. I checked with some of the neighbors, and no one it seemed knew what they were, they said "Oh we really don't know, just allways called them Surprise Lillies".

There were only a few flowers, but later there were thousands of little plants that came up right behind the blooming period. I started trying to seperate them to get them thinned out in hopes to see more flowers. The last ones I planted was about 3 years ago and up until this year, only an occasional single stem would appear. I finally just gave up on them and took the attitude, bloom if want to! I've been sticking other bulbs in there, and over planting with some annuals and generally just ignoring the fact that they are there.

As Gomer would say SHAZAM! Today there is a whole bunch of them jumping up. I tried to keep ignoring them, but I can't. They are wonderful. I found out later that I must have planted them too deep, and I guess that must be right, and they had to overcome my ignorance. Anyway, take a look.

http://www.landspro.com/T_spider_lily.jpg

[Tom]

By the way, that yellow thing is a butterfly. He folded his wings just as I snapped the pic. I wanted him on there to give some perspective on the size of the flower.

[Ann B.]

Tom,

I recognised your beautiful Surprise Flower right away! I have some Salmon colored ones as well as a couple of the red ones.

Here is the scoop...

The botanical name is Lycoris radiata, otherwise known as Naked Lily, Spider Lily and Surprise Lily.

They are similar to bulbs such as Amaryllis in that they will send up a bloom stalk before the foliage appears. The varieties that I have tend to have a lighter colored variation lengthwise in the center of the elongated leaves.

Here is a link that can tell you more:

Spider Lilies
(http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/bulbs-summer/L_radiata.html)

[Shari of SC]

Lonely One

http://www.landspro.com/spider3.jpg

I've had this one Lycoris radiata for many years. Each year the bloom and flower stalk gets larger. This year it is 30" tall and 8 inches across from anther tip to anther tip. It faithfully produces only one bloom each year. There has never been any bulb increase, and no seeds are produced.

I'm thinking perhaps it needs a soulmate in order to produce offspring. It lives its solitary life among the hostas, coleus and daylilies; all of whom reside happily underneath this small crepe myrtle tree.

Does anyone have another suggestion for encouraging this lily to reproduce?

Shari

[Ann B.]

Shari,

My mother's multiply like crazy. She has sandy loam soil and hers get so thick, they tend to work themselves toward up to the top of the soil.

Believe it or not, they are part of the Amaryllis family which are 'true' bulbs.

I have never tried cutting one into sections, but I suspect that would work. I have never seen seeds on mine or Mama's.

Since you only have one and you have had it for so long, I would be leary of trying to cut it into sections unless you get some practice with another type first.

What do you think?

[Tom]

Sheri,

You may not have enough sun on it.

If it is multiplying you should see multiple plants once the leaves come out. If thats not the case, then they are not expanding. If they are you could mark the spot and once the leaves die back next spring you could then lift them and remove some of the new ones and plant them back in a more sunny location.

[Ann B.]

My red one only had a few blooms this year. I feared that the bulbs may have become too shaded and did not make it, but today, I saw this wonderful sight! Lots of leaves and close together may mean that it is time to divide them.

What do you think?

[Tom]

They could be a little crowded, but I really do not think those are tight enought to stop the blooming. We find them around old homes here, that have been in the same spot for many, many years, and they still bloom.
If you do dig them, don't be surprised if you miss out on blooms next season all together. Sometimes it takes a year or two for them to get over the shock. Mine have been in the same location for about 5 years, and look the same every year. I can tell you for sure, they do not like wet feet. They only get morning sun.
Remember these?

[Ann B.]

Wow!

I only started with two or three. Mine are in afternoon sun, but the young pecan tree is getting sort of big and may be shading them a little too much during that time. I fear that they are only getting a few hours of full sun a day.

They are in a high spot, so I know that they probably are not gettnig too much moisture. With the drought of the last couple of years, they may not be getting enough.

I will think some more about where to move them. It looks like perhaps there are about 20 or more bulbs in there now, and I wouldn't mind sparing blooms for a year or two if I can see more of those surprises.

PRETTY! Thanks for the photo!

;) :p :D

[Ann B.]

I didn't dig them. Just never found the time, and now I am glad.

I have bloom stalks that are getting ready to open.

They are so pretty! It's nice to see them!!!!

:D

[lbfoss]

Okay, you guys are having way too much fun here.

I was motivated by the posts and went out and bought some semi hardy amaryllis bulbs and will try them beside the chimney this fall so see if they can survive and thrive. Then I will hunt for some of these wonderful Suprise Lilies that you are showing. I am in zone 7, so I am hoping that the ground won't get below 25 degrees by the chimney.

I still need to find some oriental lily bulbs, when are they usually offered for sale?? In the Spring?
Thanks, Linda

[Ann B.]

Linda,

Asiatic lilies bloom first, then the Orientals bloom followed by the Surprise lily.

My Orientals are still not dormant. For some reason, Asiatics have difficulty in my gardens. I seem to have better luck with them in pots. I am not sure why.

You should be able to find Asiatics now and perhaps some Orientals, but more are typically available after Christmas here. Perhaps that is due to lack of shelf space due to Christmas sales.

Both can certainly be planted now.

[Dazed_Lily]

What a fun story Tom and those photos are just great !
I recently gave in to my desire to have surprise lilies. However, what I have are spider lilies and from the photo they appear to be pink. Apparently the spider lilies don't come in pink. To me the true surprise lilies are (Lycoris squamigera) and are pink. Lycoris Radiata is the Spider Lily. There is a big difference between the 2--one is hardy in zones 7-10 and the other 5-10. I was told mine are hardy in zone 5. I have no idea what I have. So some time in the next decade I might find out what I really have. I've got 9 of them whatever they are !
:D

[Ann B.]

Tom,

Mine are in full foliage state right now. Is it too late to divide them? They are way, way, way to tight. I seem to have quite a few, but the bulbs appear to be too close now.

What do you think?

[Tom]

As with other bulbs, the foliage stage is the bulb building season. If you dig them now it may take several years to get them to bloom again. Wait until late spring to dig them and take careful note of their depth, and replant them the same depth. You do not have to wait for the foliage to die back completely. When some of it begins to turn yellow and fall over, it has just about finished it's work.

They may skip a year of blooming even then, but they will be much better off for then next 3-5 years if they are divided, and will give you a great show year after next and beyond.

[Ann B.]

Thanks, Tom!

When the leaves are gone, I don't think about them so much, but I will try to remember them this year.

Strange, but I enjoy the foliage as much as I enjoy the blooms! I'd like to relocate them to the morning side of the house so that I can see them more often.

Happy Thanksgiving, Tom!

[Tom]

Originally posted by Ann B.
Thanks, Tom!

When the leaves are gone, I don't think about them so much, but I will try to remember them this year.
Happy Thanksgiving, Tom!

Could be why they got the name 'Surprise Lily' - ya think?

That is the reason I say, Don't let them completely die back, they disappear, and even if you do think about them, they cannot be found.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

[Ann B.]

I was so very pleased to see these open this week.

I still haven't moved them, but would like to move at least a few because I don't always get a chance to go to the other side of the house to take a peak at what is blooming.

They were definitely a surprise when I saw the blooms this afternoon. More are still popping up, so now I know to take a peak at them every day!

[Ann B.]

Tom,

I haven't had a chance (or should I say "taken the time"?) to move these yet, but they are starting to bloom now.

There aren't as many as you have, but I counted at least a dozen scapes.

I will try to take a picture when more are opened! I didn't spot them until a couple of days ago when I was driving up to my home after school. When I saw all of that red, I know exactly what they were. What a pleasant surprise!

They are blooming a little late this year.

So, so pretty...

[Ann B.]

Sorry, but I didn't get a picture of them. I regret that... They were so very pretty this year.

I did notice this morning that there is actually a seed pod on one of them, so next year, I think I should try to self them.

It remains to be seen whether I can keep a watchful enough eye to harvest the seeds when they become ripe.

I do need to move some of these where I can keep a better eye on them when I get home from school.

[Dazed_Lily]

Is that Lycoris radicans ? Mine sent up leaves in early spring which are gone now and...nothing...no surprise unless you consider no flowers to be the surprise :(

[Ann B.]

Lycoris radiata, or something like that...

Cathy, Be patient with them. Mine didn't bloom as much for some reason or another for a couple of years. Tom recommended not moving them, and I didn't.

Now, the clump is large. I started out with 3 bulbs purchased after season, and I suspect that I now have dozens of them. They were beautiful this year. Only a couple of them bloomed last year, and I was ready to move them, but I didn't.


When this seed pod ripens, I will most likely move at least a few of the bulbs in the clump to a more visible place where I can see them readily upon coming home from school.

I thought that the air conditioning man destroyed them when he used acid to clean the filter, but all the plants around the air conditionier appear to be okay.

Just be patient, and you will be rewarded with a gorgeous display of blooms!

Hugs!

[Dazed_Lily]

Radicans ! LOL! I've got hummingbird vine on the brain !
Well, these bulbs are in a pot so I suspect that if they were to forgive me and bloom that I will have to go through the same once they are in ground. You're right about at least they are alive and probably multiplying ! :D

[Dazed_Lily]

I was just rereading this thread because I have , as I indicated 2 years ago, 9 Lycoris something or others. I think Radiata though they came from Nebraska(zone5). Anyway, they live in a 5 gallon pot on the south side of my house and are currently sending up the slightest hint of leaves. The overhead pin oak has supplied them with some nice mulch to stay warm. In spring, it is strap like leaf city ! No blooms yet.
The question: I want to put them in the ground and was going to tomorrow but is this NOT the right time to do that ?
Thanks !


P.S. I read that they like to be near flooded in August which accounts for good bloom around an a/c pad.

[Tom]

http://www.floridata.com/ref/L/lyco_rad.cfm

Lycoris radiata
Common Names: hurricane lily, red spider lily
Family: Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis Family)

I have a really great stand of several hundred of them growing in the front of a simi-shade bed. Also the source of them, up near the house is still quite thick with them, but the heavy shade doesn't allow them to bloom as well even though they have blooming sized bulbs.

I've had very good luck with them over the past few years, but my few years experience would not qualify me to give the final word on their culture. The soil here is naturally acid, which is one of the listed preferences. According to literature they will withstand the temperatures in zones 7-10. They and the October lily are treated just like their family cousins the Amaryllis, except that the seasons are just reverse. The top growth is the building block for the bulb so we leave it grow, and transplant after it starts to fade, in late spring. Take special note of the growing depth of the bloomers, and plant back at that depth.

If you are in the correct zone, I can't see why the entire clump could not be transferred from the pot to the ground most any time. But, seperation and replanting should occur during the summer dormant season. I still get a few poping up in the lawn areas but they rarely bloom because the tops get cut back in spring as I mow the lawn.

[Dazed_Lily]

Right now my Lycoris are in full foliage. When do the flowers come on ? I am in zone 6. I've yet to see them bloom but would like to know when to expect bloom if foliage is right now ? Thanks. :)

[Ann B.]

Cathy,

If they are in full foliage, this is good news. They are building strength.

The foliage will die back in the spring for me, if I remember correctly, later for you, and the 'surprise' will emerge when the bulbs are leafless. This is in August-September for me, but may be earlier for you.

Mine are in full foliage all winter, and die back early when it is getting warm/hot (soon, I need to take a stroll around the west side of my house and take a peak).

The bulbs will then rest, and after they have rested during the heat of the year, SURPRISE!