August 30th, 2009 Amaryllis belladonna
An interesting late summer flowering bulb that is not a common sight is Amaryllis belladonna a.k.a. Naked Lady.
Its tall stem is crowned with a ring of pale pink trumpet shaped blooms similar in to the indoor Amaryllis, but the flowers are smaller and finer looking.
An oddity of Amaryllis belladonna is its habit of producing leaves in the spring which then die off before the flower stems form.
If you are looking for height, late summer flowers and something out of the ordinary, consider putting a Naked Lady in your garden!
Bulb
Hardy in zones 5 – 9
Height 24” – 30”
Flowers – 6 – 10 pale pink cluster of 3” wide trumpets in mid to late summer
Leaves – lance shaped medium green
Light – full sun to part sun
Planting Season – late summer or early fall
Soil – well drained soiled amended with compost or manure
Depth – plant at least 9” deep in northern areas
Fertilizer – use a water soluble 15-30-15 when the leaves appear or top dress the bed with compost or manure
Propagation – remove bulblets from larger bulbs
Other – do not disturb the bulbs unless you intend to propagate them. Amaryllis belladonna resents being disturbed
May also be grown in containers
