Hurricane Lilies

Hurricane lilies, a flower belonging to the genus Lycoris in the family Amaryllidaceae, are not native to North America, but they have become well established here and grow wild all along the gulf coast.  They derive their common name from the time of year they make their appearance which is at the height of the hurricane season on the gulf coast.  They often seem to pop up out of nowhere right after a tropical event.  This is why they are also called surprise lilies by some people.  Others call them September lilies, or spider lilies. These lilies have a distinctive other-worldly appearance due to their lack of any kind of foliage and wispy spider like stamens.  You can count on these scarlet beauties to make repeat appearances year after year as their bulbs are hardy and multiply bountifully.

Wildflower Gallery on My Photo Website

I discovered some lovely hurricane lilies on my grandmother’s old homeplace.  She undoubtedly collected them and planted them in some of her flower beds years ago.  Time has not been kind to the property since she passed, but beneath the overgrowth I am uncovering so many treasures she buried in her gardens.  I hope to one day have the place restored to some semblance of the beautiful landscaping she had devoted so much of her time and energy into creating.

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