Jun 15, 2013

Pink Rain Lilies

With those thunderstorms of early June the Pink Rain Lilies seam to pop out of nowhere. 



Habranthus robustus formally known as  Zephyranthes robusta, is a relative of our native Zaphyranthes atamasco. They are commonly called Pink Rain Lilies or Pink Fairy Lilies. These small bulbs are native of Brazil and are not as cold hardy as our native lilies but they do live as for north as Virginia. They often pop up and bloom after the first summer thunder storm. The light green foliage looks like wide blades of grass and comes up in the spring before the flowers bloom. Rain Lilies are easy to propagate from seeds and dividing clusters of bulbs. Collect seed pods when they turn yellow and then scatter seeds where you want them. They can be planted with other bulbs like small daffodils Tete a Tete, or February Gold, or other rain lilies- Zypheranthes candida (white rain lily), Zypheranthes citrine (yellow rain lily)