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In Bloom
Amaryllis belladonna“Naked Ladies”
The two-foot leafless stems of Amaryllis belladonna, crowned with fragrant pink lily-like flowers, appear annually in August, having naturalized in gardens and vacant spaces all over the world. The long strap-like leaves have dried up and disappeared weeks before the thick red stem emerges from the ground. A. belladonna is native to South Africa and grows from an underground bulb or geophyte. The common name "Naked Ladies" is often associated with these flowers as they appear 'naked' without any leaves when they bloom. They are among the many thousands of geophytes that create a stupendous floral display in spring in the Cape Province at the tip of Africa. This vast terminal point of the continent, isolated by oceans on either side, has a Mediterranean climate similar to our own with a varied topography that helps account for 80 percent of its native species being considered endemic, found nowhere else. Geophytes can endure long dry summers by going dormant until fall arrives, or winter rains break their dormancy. A. belladonna are not the least choosy about soil, location or moisture requirements as long as there is good drainage.
Profile
LocationAmaryllis belladonna can be found in the South Africa Garden (Beds 26A,26B, 32A). ![]()
IN BLOOM CONTRIBUTORS: |
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