Jim's beautiful pictures of L. squamigera reminded me of the Amaryllis
belladonna that is blooming all over the place in the Bay Area now.
They are usually found in clumps (though rarely as majestic as those
of Lycoris Jim talks about) in old neighborhoods ("old" here means 100
years), in areas untouched by "landscapers" -- and irrigation. If the
Victorian house is gone, a very large palm tree (usually Phoenix
canariensis or a Washingtonia sp.) will often signal its absence. The
planting strip between the sidewalk and the street is a favored
habitat.
Sometimes, though, their vigor surprises you. Tonight I saw the
telltale dull (not to say insipid) pink protruding proudly from the
middle of a thicket of Dietes bicolor, in a yard that had clearly been
professionally landscaped in the last 20 years. For those of you
unfamiliar with the latter, lets just say that it's an Irid the
aforementioned landscapers find it necessary to prune with electric
hedge shears.
Best,
Max Withers
Oakland CA