amaryllis growing in zone 5?

16 years ago

Hi, I posted about this in the lily forum and was directed here. I am in zone 5 southwest Michigan, and had an amaryllis mysteriously spring up about a week ago where my mailbox used to be (it was run over by a truck and we replaced it a couple of feet over.) I have lived in this house for 3 summers now and nothing has ever grown in that spot but grass and weeds! I am really confused because from what I understand this plant is not hardy anywhere close to my zone.

I am wondering if anyone knows what type of amaryllis this is, and if there is any advice for me as to what to do with it after it is done blooming. I know nothing about this plant except what I have read in the last hour or so. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: mysterious amaryllis

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Comments (12)

lora_in
16 years ago
Hiya trapped in amber,
That is a photo of Lycoris squamigera,aka naked lady.
They are blooming all over the place in zone 5 right now. It would be easy to miss the foliage, it comes up briefly in spring and looks rather like a daffodil.It then disappears until late summer when a leafless scape pops up overnight,usualy after it rains. They are a wonderfully tough plant that usually need no more care than being divided every 10-15 years. If you feel like pampering it you could scratch in a little bone meal and if you dont feel like it they won't miss it :)
Lora
trapped_in_amber
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, Lora! Unfortunately I can't leave it where it is - my husband is already threatening to mow it over LOL. I have a bed with some iris and daylilies that could use some late summer color, so I would like to move it there at the appropriate time. When might that be? I planted that bed in early fall of last year- is that the right time for this plant too? And since you say it is a tough plant does this mean that it does not need to be dug up and stored for the winter? I mean, it has obviously been there all this time so I guess it will be fine. I will try to research more on this, and any further advice will be very helpful!
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lora_in
16 years ago
Oh, tell him to hold his horses for a few days !Those lovely blooms won't last but a week. You can move it once you have enjoyed the flowers :)
Try trowling down next to the stem, it should be about 3-4 inches below ground & will look like a big daff. It will be happy in the bed with iris & daylilies.Just don't forget where you move it to, they spend so little time above ground that it's easy to forget where they are & plant something over it. And don't be surprized if there are a lot of bulbs around the one that is showing.
Lycoris squamigeria is hardy to zone 5, maybe 4, so no need to dig & store it. I checked your post at the lily forum and amaryllis belladonna is a reasonable guess if you were in zone 7ish.I do give them more credit for cold hardiness than most people, if they had a sheltered spot near a house foundation & a good mulch they could grow in z6 for sure & maybe z5. Heck, I grow Lycoris radiata near Indianapolis & it's supposed to be a z7 plant.
Enjoy your new found treasure, Lora
soultan
16 years ago
I had some Belladonna downhill, and when my workers were doing the waterfall in the side garden, they just decided to unearth the flowering plants and plant them around the final waterfall. They are well and happy. So I guess, they can even be moved when in bloom. At least, my flowers did not suffer from it.
trapped_in_amber
Original Author
16 years ago
Ooh, I'm so excited! Now that I know what I'm dealing with I'm sure DH will wait until I can move it to mow up there. Thank you both so much for all your help! Now I'll have to try really hard not to bombard you all with questions about my other plants;)
soultan
16 years ago
You can. Some of us can answer questions beyond amaryllids... I press it: some of us. :o) I am not totally blond when it comes to other plants, but I am far from an expert... What? I even play around with my amarylli too.
jodik_gw
16 years ago
I was glad to see this post; I was kind of wondering about all the "naked lady" flowers blooming in town here! I thought central Illinois was a little too cold for them to survive, but I've seen several patches of them throughout this area.

I was just getting my fall bulb order together... I think I'll include the "naked lady"!
soultan
16 years ago
Just make sure that you order the kind that is hardy in your area.
lora_in
16 years ago
Hi Jodik,
I have plenty if you would like a trade. Lora
jodik_gw
16 years ago
Lora,
I'd love to trade! I'm not sure if I have anything you'd be interested in... I have quite a few perennials that could be divided, or... I have some young plants in 4 inch pots of foxglove, gaillardia, columbine, and a few others that I was growing to add to our gardens... or... I am beginning to harvest seeds from several of my perennials... I'm located in central Illinois, and I see you're in central Indiana... shipping would be quick and pretty easy... email me and we can figure out what I have that you'd like...
rumpelstiltskin@hughes.net
thiskidhasplants
16 years ago
the mysterious amaryllis is a magic lily.
soultan
16 years ago
That's one way to call it.

amaryllis growing in zone 5?

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amaryllis growing in zone 5?

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