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bigoledude

Tell me sumpthin about Rain Lilies

bigoledude
18 years ago

On this forum many months ago, a guy from Arabi (Mike) who was a radio disc jockey had offered me some Rain Lilies. He lived in the town right next to me and yet we never did hook-up. This dude knew a lot about every kind of plant growing in our hemisphere! I've thought of him many times after the storm since, Arabi and my town suffered catastrophic damage. I had 13 1/2 feet of muck in my house and I'm sure he had at least that much.

My wife has started building a little "victory garden" outside our bombed-out house and it is actually stopping traffic when people spot this little oasis of color in what is very much like a moonscape. Everything around us is "Katrina Dead Grey".

Here's the question; I use a little micro-irrigation system to automatically water my plants 3 times a week. Do rain lilies need a dry period in order to spring-forth after a rain shower. Would I have to isolate them from the sprinklers? Am I off base on how these little plants operate? I see rain lilies on E-bay all the time.

Comments (9)

  • lisa455
    18 years ago

    I live in Thibodaux and I have them. They are a nice plant. The generic pink variety spreads very easily and are mostly evergreen and grow in sun or shade. They make nice little clumps. The leaves are about the same size and shape as liriope but a brighter grass green. They do like a lot of water and rich organic soil. I bought fifty (Fairy Lily) from Van Bourgondien for $5.00 and had more a few years later than I could count. They still have them for sale. Unfortunately, I just moved and I only took a few with me. The yellow and white ones are a little harder to grow. My pink ones typically only bloomed after a good rain in mid-summer into fall even though I watered with a sprinkler often, so I don't know if they can be induced to bloom.

  • harper
    18 years ago

    I've had the same experience as Lisa. It seems they really only bloom after a good rain. You don't need to worry about keeping them dry between showers. They'll bloom when they want regardless what you do.

    Harper

  • brenda_near_eno
    18 years ago

    Hey Ray, Rain lilies rock! The fall before Katrina, Mike and I traded rain lily bulbs - I sent him 'La Buffarosea' - which has slightly fatter leaves and fat pink-cast petals. He sent me crinums. My mother, gone 17 years last month, grew the rain lilies that are native to the southeast, Atamasco lilies, at our home, first in New Orleans and then in Ocean Springs. Mike wrote that rain lilies were some of the handful of things still alive there after the flood. Do you need any of the white ones, cuz I have some I can send you? I am so happy to hear of your wife's victory garden! Your hope after such a catastrophy is inspirational. Are there any other plants you would like, cuz the Carolina Gardening Forum has been feeling for you guys and like all gardeners, they're generous folks. I have some of the red surprise lily bulbs too if you'd like some. You probably get enough natural rainfall there for rain lilies. Harper is right - they bloom when they want to. Caladiums and amaryllis bulbs put in now should give you blazing color in May. Go Ray!

  • greenelbows1
    18 years ago

    I can't add much to what others have said about rain and irrigation and all--mine bloom I guess when they feel like it, sometimes after a rain, sometimes after sprinklers, sometimes--when they feel like it as they say. If you'd like some good information and a nice list of more rainlilies than you can imagine--more than I can imagine and I go there lots--check out the Yucca Do Nursery website. Amazing numbers and colors and varieties. Love 'em!

  • down_south_LA
    18 years ago

    I have plenty of pink rain lily bulbs, if you want some just let me know!!

  • bigoledude
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I would love some pink rain lilies! I don't know why but, I can't get emails right now. Thank you so much for your generosity. I'll have to do this on the open forum, for the whole world to see. Here's my address;

    Ray Gremillion
    217 Clearview Pkwy.
    Metairie, LA 70001

  • sceniccityred
    13 years ago

    Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and just learned about Rain Lilies. They are precious little things, aren't they? I wanted to see where the best place is to get these little gems. I phoned my local Home Depot and they didn't have any. Also, do they spread, grow new babies, shall we say? You can tell I don't know too much about these, but just love the way they look! Any help getting started with these would be appreciated!

  • Donna
    13 years ago

    The latin name for rain lilies is Zephyranthes. These are my favorite edging plants for perennial borders. There are many different colors and varieties: white (candida), pink (grandiflora), yellow (reginnae), with a number of hybrids ranging in color from white, to pink, to orange, to yellow. They are, in my opinion, the very best summer blooming bulbs for the south (crinums being a close second).

    If I had to pick just one, it would be the white ones. Candidas look alot like crocus, especially in bud. When they open, they are pure white with bright yellow centers. The foliage is a very dark green, almost black, shiney and wiry in texture. They are dead easy to grow, evergreen, and have the most numerous bloom cycles of the others, in at least my summer climate. They are also the easiest and least expensive to find. I got my first ones from Brent and Beckys Bulbs. Yucadoo, Plant Delights, and other bulb companies also carry them. They multiply prodigiously. Let them make sizeable clumps for the best show. They like reasonably fertile, well drained soil. They are drought tolerant but also thrive in fairly moist conditions, as long as they have decent drainage. They usually begin blooming in mid summer here and bloom off and on until frost.

    I also grow reginnae, which is not evergreen (nor is the foliage as attractive as candidas, but it's not bad), however, is extremely easy to start from seed. It's a lovely soft yellow and begins blooming as early as late May here. It usually stops blooming about the time that candida gets going.

    The pink grandiflora is positively exquisite in every way, but blooms far less frequently than the other two and does not increase very fast. I have not noticed it forming seed.
    Hope this all helps you. If you live in zone 7 or warmer, you are a lucky soul to be able to grow these summer treasures, as far as I am concerned!

  • katladie
    12 years ago

    sceniccityred I got my rain lilies at WalMart and they should have them now. I think I had 20 in the pack and I planted them in 2 groups of 10, they multiply very good but are a pain to weed around.

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