For Alice, and all my readers with March birthdays, and a heart for South Africa.
Amaryllis belladonna
In March the Western Cape heaves a deep sigh of relief. Autumn! Not so much last year, when we had an unseasonal heat wave and the mountains caught fire. In Swellendam we were caught in a thunderstorm and even the car complained. Then the heavens opened and we waded thru floods. Looking from our hotel room, first to Is That SMOKE, later the red glow of flames blazing behind the mountain. And again and again travelling home from Swellendam to Porterville there were fires along the mountains. A horrifying sight.
 |
| March lily buds |
This March has been kinder, and we hope that the next few days will bring us some rain to add to the THREE millimetres we have had so far this month (last year we had 17 mm in March). The fynbos in the Western Cape, in a good year – a recovering from a previous fire year, has drifts and swathes of March lilies. Along the roads, as we rush thru our busy lives, these flamboyant flowers are unmissable. Even in gardens, if the wild is allowed to flower!
 |
| March lilies opening |
 |
| March lily just opened |
Later these flowers will make large green seeds, almost as big as grapes. The seedlings grow easily where the seed falls. And these plants multiply. I can imagine them becoming an invasive problem elsewhere – but we love that encouraging sign that autumn is here and our gardens are returning to life. Later still, when the party is over, the bulbs will send up the daily grind of green leaves for next year’s flowers. And then the long rest below ground, aestivation, avoiding the summer’s blast of heat.
 |
| March lilies fully open |
The flowers open white, deepening to pink as the flowers ‘grow up’ and wear their grownup party dresses.
 |
| A March lily |
 |
| Pink petals on March lily |
From PlantZAfrica
· The family Amaryllidaceae forms a large group of over sixty genera, which are mainly centred in the southern Africa with smaller distributions in Andean South America.
· Other genera that belong to this family that have horticultural importance and are found in southern Africa include Clivia, Crinum, Cyrthanthus, Nerine and Scadoxus.
· Hippeastrum, which some gardeners mistakenly call amaryllis, is a large South American genus.
· Other northern hemisphere genera include Narcissus (daffodils), Galanthus and Leucojum
 |
| Stamens of the March lilies |
 |
| March lily pollen |
All these stages in this flower’s life were photographed on the 22nd. From the emerging bud, thru the opening and fully opened flower, all the way to pollen on the stamens.
For Gail at Clay and Limestone’s Wildflower-Wednesday meme.
And just for fun in a free moment over the weekend Cheese or Font???
And just for fun in a free moment over the weekend Cheese or Font???
Pictures and words (If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink.
Those are my links)
29 comments:
They really are beautiful. I should go and have a look to see if there are some in flower in Settlers Park.
Hi Diana, once again the weather turns milder and the old favourites return to reassure us the cycle is still going. Such a pretty lily - its delicacy belies its toughness. Thanks for the imports - they do well here too and I don't think they're invasive. I have a couple of nerines popped up in my garden - so frilly, not quite the right colour for my planned design but no matter - they can stay. cheers, catmint
Diana, I love these beauties and having a large swath of them sounds lovely~I am growing Lycoris squamigera...would love to try your March Lilies, but, I think they may be too tender for us...
I remember your fires last year~I hope the rain falls soon. gail
These are so beautiful! And wild? Much better than fire on the mountain. I wonder if these are similar to what we call magic lilies here? Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely beautiful - the March Lillies and your photographs!
I can never get over the incredible shading in flower petals--you can almost taste the pink in those macros! So pleased that you've gotten at least a little more rain--we're still at 3 mm for the year, too, and have already had a handful of forest and grass fires, which doesn't bode well for summer. :/
Stacy - I have a nephew who will be fire spotting for you in the Q.
I am enchanted by the delicate pink color of your amaryllis. Like Gail, I was reminded of Licoris squamigera, which I'm planning to add to my garden this year. I wonder why those of us in North America use the common name of "amaryllis" to refer to Hippeastrum. Were these plants classified in the same genus at one time (like geranium and pelargonium)?
I just checked it out in Wickepedia, and the connection may be the Dutch, who first grew Hippeastrum commercially and who may have marketed it as "Dutch amaryllis." -Jean
Very beautiful lily, and I loved the detailed profile. I don't see how you could have failed to mention that snowdrops are in this family!!!
Dear Diana, Beautiful, beautiful lilies! I hope autumn is kind to you this year. P x
Sorry Carolyn! As the Hippeastrum gets misnamed amaryllis, so I get confused between snowflakes and snowdrops ;~) Have tucked the Galanthus into its place now.
P.S. I hope you knew I was joking because all of us northern gardeners seem to be obsessed with snowdrops and you southerners must get tired of seeing photos of them.
These March Lilies are utterly beautiful! Nerine is getting more and more popular around here.
Clivia is also known, of course, as a house plant.
Have a nice weekend!
Elke
Very informative, I have learnt a lot!They grow here quite close to the ocean. It is such a surprise to see the lovely pink colour all of a sudden one morning! Your photos are excellent, each one of them.
These lilies are stunning...such lovely color and growth..glad to hear you are having a good start to your season of autumn...
Very pretty lilies, Diana. I do like that color, so feminine and delicate looking.
don't tell anyone but I like pink. I wouldn't wear it but I've got to have it in the garden.
those lilies are lovely but then aren't they all ?
How lovely to see and read about them growing in their native habitat. Here they are - often expensive - bulbs or plants, often for indoors. Happy Autumn.
I remember those burning mountains - gosh that was awful! Here's hoping nothing like that happens this year xx
I adore your photographs, so beautiful. I'm allergic to lillies in the real but in cyber world, not a sniffle or runny nose at all - yay! :)
Diana, no need to post this one, but if you think of it, please wish your nephew a safe and boring fire season for me!
Your March lilies look very much like the summer lilies my mother-in-law called naked lilies because they had no leaves when they bloomed, just a tall stalk with a big pink trumpet. I did some quick research and yep, the two are in the same Amaryllidaceae,
May you have a kinder, gentler autumn, Diana.
Beautiful lilies, Diana. I didn't expect the pink color looking at the first two buds.
I wish both of us rain. Really, I will be happy even with just a quick shower. The summer months are on us now and I've already started watering twice daily.
Reading your posts a strange occurence happens to me - I swear I can smell the Fynbos!
Loved the Amaryllis - maybe one year I will be there when they flower? A magnificent sight. The closest I get is with Nerines....
Chris - the Amaryllis are so strongly scented, that a whisper as you walk past is pleasant, but it is NOT a flower to sink your nose into. Have also been warned not to pick them. Not house trained ;~)
Such gorgeous lilies and so seemingly delicate with their pastel pink hues. Hard to believe they actually grow in the wild and are not some pampered garden cultivar.
If we had such beautiful blooms in March, I could get more excited about living in a snowclad tundra.
Christine in Alaska, no flowers yet
Beautiful photos of your March Lily Diana! I hope you have a great autumn filled with just the right amount of rainy days.
These pink Amaryllis are really beautiful! So delicate...
I would love to see this inreal life one day.
My dotter name is Lilly and i gave her the name from "Lilies".
MB
Post a Comment