Lycoris longituba
Jim McKenney (Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:58:38 PDT)

I have several accessions of Lycoris longituba in the garden, and this year
I’m seeing one of them bloom for the first time. The catalog from which I
purchased these bulbs a few years ago described the blooms as white From a
distance they do look white, but close up the color is a lot more complex.
There is a warm saffron suffusion to the flowers, sort of like the effect of
orange juice mixed in milk. The developing buds have a diffuse red/pink
stripe on the outside, but as the flower matures this disappears. There is a
nice fragrance, too.

This one is definitely a keeper, a very nice addition to the rather limited
range of oporanthous bulbs.

The season for Lycoris squamigera will evidently be a long one this year:
the first appeared weeks ago and others are just emerging. It would be nice
to know what triggers bloom in these bulbs.

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone
7

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