Lycoris squamigera, Amaryllis belladona, Naked Ladies, Surprise Lily, Resurrection Lily, Hardy or Summer Amaryllis
The appearance of Naked Ladies is a bright spot in the garden at this time of year. Two separate plants are sold as Naked Ladies: Lycoris squamigera and Amaryllis belladonna. They are both great pass-along plants though most gardeners and plant retailers do not know the difference between them. You will soon be able to discover which one of these plant cousins you have in the garden because Lycoris squamigera has leaves only in the spring and Amaryllis belladonna makes leaves immediately after flowering. To further confuse the bulb buying public, these two plants share common names including: Surprise Lily, Resurrection Lily, and Hardy or Summer Amaryllis. Though they are cousins, Amaryllis Belladonna is from Africa and Lycoris squamigera is from China. Amaryllis Belladonna will only survive in southern climates, USDA zones 7-9. Lycoris will do well in USDA zones 6 to 8 and in zones 4-5 with mulch. Amaryllis Belladonna is toxic to deer and rodents; Lycoris is not. The pla...