Is It Magic or a Surprise? Beginning the first part of March, did you notice green long strap-like foliage in your yard or someone else’s yard, the plant stayed green and never bloomed? Those were the starts of “Amaryllis belladonna” or “Lycoris squamigera” plants. Did you ask yourself, “what the heck is that?” That plant has many names such as, Magic Lily, Jersey Lily, August Lily, Belladonna Lily, Naked Ladies, Pink Surprise, Resurrection Lily, or Surprise Lily. You either love them or hate them. If you purchased the plants at the Gibson County Master Gardener plant sale
Serving Gibson County for 50 Years
Celebrating Life & Healing Hearts 812-753-4601 500 E. Park St., Fort Branch, IN
in May, you may have wondered what to do next. Here are some ideas for your new plant. Looking at them now, in June, they will be yellowing and dying back; they are feeding the bulbs for the single stalk of blooms to appear in late July or August. Their bloom will occur seemingly overnight; it is quite a surprise when it happens. The blooms take four to five days to full maturity, but they are not noticeable as they are growing. The blooms are trumpet shaped and can be white or pink to a purplish color and fragrant. Yes, these grow from large bulbs; some are 2 ½ inches in diameter and you can plant them in full sun to part shade. The bulbs will multiply over time and will need to be thinned in a few years. Plant them 5-6 inches below the soil surface in the spring or fall. They will grow anywhere and in stressful conditions; I know this from my own experience. I had a large bin of them, some were in trash bags and some in bowls. Since I didn’t get them all planted they sprouted in the bags and bowls. They also prefer well drained soil, wet winters, and dry summers. When the leaves emerge, fertilize the plant. When the foliage is yellowed and dying back, that is the time to cut the foliage back to the ground, or you could mow over them depending on where they are planted. Companion planting would be a good idea for these bulbs since they are green in spring, gone for a month or two and then in bloom. Ground cover plants such as Creeping thyme, Creeping Juniper, or Irish
Visit our website at stodghillfuneralhome.com
Page 30
Story and photo: Jodi Meyer
Continued page 32
June 2022
Small Town Living