Some are deep pink, some very light, some are actually white, although I don't have any photos of my whiter ones.
In the very early winter, leaves come up (following the flowers). Beautiful large strappy green leaves cover the ground all winter and into late spring. They are nice because they are attractive and block out the weeds. Then the leaves die back (you can see traces of them in the photo above) and there is nothing whatsoever there.
Then in August, surprise! (Another common name is Surprise Lily) here comes a bud just thrusting up out of the dry naked ground, and in a day or two, a glorious flower. Hummingbirds love them. Honey bees adore them.
I first discovered them as a young girl on our family's trips to the California coast where they grow along Highway One seemingly wild in large drifts. There is an old cemetery near Elk, California where they cover the graves and have spread far and wide. I love to visit that old cemetery to look at the old head stones and smell the wonderful lilies. They should be blooming there now.Does anyone else out there grow Naked Ladies or have memories of them? I would like to hear about it, and also if you have other nicknames for them. There are many.
10 comments:
Oh, Tina - they're so pretty! I really enjoyed this post.
I have never heard of these. They are lovely.
these are beautiful-i think i may have the newest flower to plant at my parents graves & at gram & gramps graves also. when i wasn't in michigan it was hard to do much at their headstones and i think these would be so nice & make my visits there pleasant. my mom & dad LOVED nature and flowers. i can hear my dad thinking (cuz he would not want to hurt my feelings) 'faith did not know about these?'
great post for many reasons heidi!
Hi Faith - Just to clarify - this was Tina's post. She's going to try to do one every Wednesday!
oh tina so sorry-clearly i am not with it today -here goes - great post tina!!!!!!
I am not real plant savvy. I have never heard that name before nor know any other nicknames. They are beautiful though! Twyla
Hi Faith, I got a laugh out of your Dad's grave thoughts! I am always thinking what my Mom and Dad would say about something. It is true they are an old fashioned flower, so that would mean a person would have either known about them forever, or never have heard about them because they are out-dated now. They are perfect for graves because they don't need care or water. They get plenty of water in the winter when they have the leaves, and in the summer/fall when they bloom, they are dormant and don't need water. The bulbs can be more pricy than other smaller bulbs, but they last forever and spread like crazy, so I think they are well worth the cost.
oh tina - i love it! 'grave thoughts' - i'm gonna use it but will give credit where credit is due (i.e. you). john & I have been going crazy about what to try next at their 'sites' & you have given us the answer. i am so glad you did this post!
We have those in our backyard. Around here, in Arkansas, everyone calls them Surprise Lillies. True to their name, they always surprise us - twice a year!
Hi Shara from Arkansas. We have 'ancestors' from Arkansas, so it is fun to find out that naked ladies are growing there and surprising lucky you. Twice a year, that's great! Just typing this I am imagining their scent and now I am going to have to go outside and smell one.
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