This plant is a lovely surprise in fall after everything else has stopped blooming, died back, or been cleaned up.
An old favorite in my grandmother's garden, they are called surprise lilies because the green foliage goes dormant after an early spring show, and then the flower stalks appear in summer. Also called Naked ladies because the flower stalks appear without any leaves.
Lycoris aurea is the yellow species usually offered in commerce and is considered to be the largest Lycoris.
Lycoris sprengeri has smaller flowers, but it more than compensates by its vivid color scheme of pink with an electric blue highlight on the petals.
Lycoris chinensis has a rich butter-yellow flower with the spider-form. It is similar to L. radiata. Blooms mid-season.
A lovely pale yellow, L. caldwellii is a triploid.
Lycoris longitube is a nearly white trumpet-form that is quite hardy. It blooms early, about the time L. squamigera blooms in zones 5 and 6.
