Lilies: Lycoris squamigera

description for "Lilies: Lycoris squamigera"

Magic Lily is familiar to many northern gardeners. This species closely resembles Amaryllis belladonna with trumpet-like blooms of rose-pink, tinged amethyst-blue. The strap-like leaves appear early in the spring, mature and die back by middle June. in late August-September the flower stems rise, as if by magic, to a height of 18-24 inches and bear their lovely trumpets. An excellent garden plant for cooler regions where A. belladonna fails to grow. L. squamigera grows easily in most garden soils, forming an impressive grouping over time. This tender plant is suitable for container culture in a cool or intermediate greenhouse. These exotic flowers most closely resemble their relatives of the genera Amaryllis and Nerine. All bloom without their strap-like leaves which usually appear in spring and then vanish.