Lycoris squamigera

LATIN NAME: LYCORIS SQUAMIGERA

COMMON NAME: Surprise Lily

The surprise lily bursts the tall, naked flower stems straight from the bare ground in the late summer, each stem holding the cluster of the pink, trumpet-shaped flowers, the strap-like leaves following in the autumn and growing through the winter. The flowers come before the leaves, which is how the plant got its name, and the whole clump carries the fresh, surprising look of the amaryllis family. The stems rise from the plump, underground bulbs, the flowers open wide and lily-like, and the plant settles into the long-lived clumps. It likes the sun or the part shade, and the deep, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The surprise lily raises a genuinely interesting question in the plant form: why the flowers come first and the leaves follow, months later. The botanists have studied that unusual leaf-flower timing, along with the way the bulbs multiply and the seed germinates, while the horticulturists value the long-lived, easy bulbs that ask for nothing. The naked flower stems stand as a fine example of the plant form that keeps the collectors interested.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the late-summer garden, the surprise lily is the final performance of the season. The pink flowers burst from the bare ground when the border is winding down, the clumps spread into the long-lived drifts, and the leaves grow quietly through the winter and the spring. The flowers draw the bees and the butterflies, and the plant keeps its own patient schedule. Patient, rewarding and full of surprise.

The surprise lily seeds germinate in a moist, sandy mix kept cool and bright. The seedlings rise with the narrow, grassy leaves, and they grow on slowly, building the small bulbs underground. Keep them in the deep pots until the bulbs swell, and give them the sun or the part shade and the sharp drainage. They dislike the wet feet, so keep the soil on the dry side through the summer rest. The first naked flower stems come within the few years, and the clumps settle into the long-lived drifts.

To grow the surprise lily from seed, sow the plump, black seeds evenly into the deep pot of moist, sandy mix, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the bright, cool spot and water gently. The seedlings break ground within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly. Settle the young bulbs into the deep, well-drained ground, and the naked stems will burst through the late summer.

Uses: medicine. Ornamental