Hey all, We've just moved into a new house and cleared out the flowerbeds in the back yard, put new soil in, etc. This plant was here when we got here, but definitely didn't like the tired old soil it was in. I've never seen it before, and our landlady has no idea either. Since we put the new soil in, it's growing like mad. I'm not very versed in botany, so some help in identifying it would be most welcome! :) Thanks in advance, Arctic Sunrise (Trev)
If that is blooming right now -- with no leaves in sight, it is probably Amaryllis belladonna, or "Naked lady lily." The leaves show up early, disappear, and then flowers pop up later on their own. They are in full bloom right now here.
Ah, thanks very much! We've been peering at it a while now, trying to figure out what it is. I thought Belladonna was poisonous, however? Or am I just getting confused? Wikipedia states it to be a single species, so I think perhaps I am just puzzled, lol
Think the plant referred to as Belladonna is a different plant, maybe Atropa belladonna, deadly nightshade.
In looking at closeups of Lycoris v. Amaryllis, it looks like the 6 Amaryllis petals all meet just short of the center in a common "tube," whereas the Lycoris has 6 individual petals. In the picture, close up, the petals definitely look like they merge into a tube, so I still think it is Amaryllis belladonna. Excuse my heavy-duty scientific explanation, but this seemed to say it best...there are so many similarities.
