I live in Houston, TX. A few days ago, two interesting looking shoots
came up together in my back yard. The stems are hollow, and they
currently don't seem to have any leaves. What they do have is flowers
(they bloomed today). The flowers are red, six of them, arranged in a
hexagon on the top of each stem. Each flower has six slightly curled
petals, four above and two below the opening of the flower. From the
openings of each flower there are seven crazy-long stamens, also red,
each tipped with a small ball of pollen. Tiny ants are busily climbing
up and down these plants, so I assume there is nectar of some kind.
What are these things? Any clue?

On 17 Sep 2006 15:14:27 -0700, wrote:

I live in Houston, TX. A few days ago, two interesting looking shoots
came up together in my back yard. The stems are hollow, and they
currently don't seem to have any leaves. What they do have is flowers
(they bloomed today). The flowers are red, six of them, arranged in a
hexagon on the top of each stem. Each flower has six slightly curled
petals, four above and two below the opening of the flower. From the
openings of each flower there are seven crazy-long stamens, also red,
each tipped with a small ball of pollen. Tiny ants are busily climbing
up and down these plants, so I assume there is nectar of some kind.
What are these things? Any clue?


Might be naked lady, Amaryllis belladonna

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/amarylbella.htm

Sounds like you have either Lycoris (Naked Ladies or Surprise Lily) or
Hippeastrum bifidum (also sometimes placed in Rhodophiala--Oxblood or
Schoolhouse Lily). Both of these grow from bulbs. The foliage comes up
in the spring and the plant stores food. The leaves die down, and then
in the fall--wow! Cherish them--they can be long-lived and the
Oxbloods, at least, multiply well where they are happy. Try not to mow
the leaves in the spring.

Oxbloods were brought to Texas by German immigrants and passed around in
neighborhoods. In a really well-planted neighborhood, there are
thousands in bloom on a single street at once. Very hard to find in the
trade. I got mine from a friend.

Monique Reed

wrote:

I live in Houston, TX. A few days ago, two interesting looking shoots
came up together in my back yard. The stems are hollow, and they
currently don't seem to have any leaves. What they do have is flowers
(they bloomed today). The flowers are red, six of them, arranged in a
hexagon on the top of each stem. Each flower has six slightly curled
petals, four above and two below the opening of the flower. From the
openings of each flower there are seven crazy-long stamens, also red,
each tipped with a small ball of pollen. Tiny ants are busily climbing
up and down these plants, so I assume there is nectar of some kind.
What are these things? Any clue?

Hooray!

Using the information you gave me, I was able to figure out that they
are lycoris radiata, red spider lily, also known as naked lady or
schoolhouse lily or hurricane lily. The link below is to an article
about them, with a picture that looks exactly like what I've got.

http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnew.../sg031003.html

Thanks for your help. I plan to capture these wild things and try to
tame them.





monique wrote:
Sounds like you have either Lycoris (Naked Ladies or Surprise Lily) or
Hippeastrum bifidum (also sometimes placed in Rhodophiala--Oxblood or
Schoolhouse Lily). Both of these grow from bulbs. The foliage comes up
in the spring and the plant stores food. The leaves die down, and then
in the fall--wow! Cherish them--they can be long-lived and the
Oxbloods, at least, multiply well where they are happy. Try not to mow
the leaves in the spring.

Oxbloods were brought to Texas by German immigrants and passed around in
neighborhoods. In a really well-planted neighborhood, there are
thousands in bloom on a single street at once. Very hard to find in the
trade. I got mine from a friend.

Monique Reed

wrote:

I live in Houston, TX. A few days ago, two interesting looking shoots
came up together in my back yard. The stems are hollow, and they
currently don't seem to have any leaves. What they do have is flowers
(they bloomed today). The flowers are red, six of them, arranged in a
hexagon on the top of each stem. Each flower has six slightly curled
petals, four above and two below the opening of the flower. From the
openings of each flower there are seven crazy-long stamens, also red,
each tipped with a small ball of pollen. Tiny ants are busily climbing
up and down these plants, so I assume there is nectar of some kind.
What are these things? Any clue?