Growing Lilies and Other Bulbs in LaBelle.

Growing Lilies and Other Bulbs in LaBelle.
There are quite a few lilies and bulbs that grow well in the heat and humidity of LaBelle.
The most successful large flowered bulbs in LaBelle are the members of the extensive
amaryllis plant family, Amaryllidaceae, including the hybrid “Dutch” amaryllis
(Hippeastrum) commonly grown indoors at Christmas time.
In the late winter and spring hybrid “Dutch” amaryllis bulbs open with red, pink and white
colored blooms. These large-flowered, brightly colored hybrids produce 8 to 12 inch
diameter blooms on hollow stalks.
Hybrid Amaryllis
If amaryllis don’t get a dry cold winter they oftentimes won’t bloom. Climate change is
acerbating the problem. For amaryllis be sure to provide good soil drainage and lots of
water but not standing water, which will rot the bulb. Remove dead blooms before
seeds are produced or flowering in the following season will be reduced. Several nonhybrid species types of amaryllis are also grown in yards in LaBelle and do quite well.
”Saint Joseph’s Lily” is a vigorous amaryllis hybrid common in old gardens.
Species amaryllis (Hippeastrum petiolatum)
A widely grown member of the amaryllis family is the Crinum lily (pronounced KRYEnum). In LaBelle they live under all conditions, from soggy wet to bone dry, from acid to
alkaline, from rich loam to poor sand, from shade to full sun. Crinum lilies seem to live
forever. They often survive the house they are planted around and are often found at
the foundations of old torn down homes. They are often called “spider lily” or "string lily"
but the two terms can mean many different types of lily. They are also called “swamp
lily” as the native Florida crinum lily Crinum Americanum is only found growing in wet
swamps or on the edges of streams. In most South Florida gardens, crinum lily flowers
almost all year round with brief resting periods.
There are some 200 species of Crinum lily found throughout the tropics and thousands
of hybrids. The flower color ranges from white to white with red stripes to a vibrant rose.
The flower form ranges from the thin petalled “spider” form to a full petalled form that
looks like an Easter lily. The size of the plant can range from a diminutive two foot to six
foot giants.
The giant maroon leaved form (Grand Crinum “purple leaf”) is often encountered at a
local corner plant vendor.
The smaller green leaved version is a classic “spider lily” form, probably either Crinum
erubescens or Crinum cruentum. The Florida "swamp lily" or "spider lily" Crinum
Americanum looks just like this but is only found in swamps or along waterways.
The crinum hybrids show a much more fully formed and colorful flower:
Some hybrids are even stripped and called the "Milk and Wine" Crinum
A close relative of the Crinum is another lily with the common name “spider lily”, the
Hymenocallis, sometimes incorrectly called "Ismene" or “peruvian daffodil”. It has
attractive and unusual webbing between the petals.
Some forms of the Hymenocallis “Peruvian Daffodil” (“Sulfur Queen”) are light yellow
and do look like daffodils.
Many Hymenocallis are just as tough and everlasting as the crinums. Bulbs and plants
of both Crinum and Hymenocallis can be purchased over the internet. They are
expensive as they are typically offsets and slow to multiply. They are rarely found at
nurseries. Hymenocallus is sometime listed (incorrectly) as Ismene festalis.
Occassionally good deals can be found on Ebay where a collector is getting rid of odd
bulbs from their collection. These are typically small first year offsets that will take a few
years to get to the two to three foot blooming size of most hybrids. But eventually they
will become specimen plants which won’t die under any and all conditions. If a Crinum
sets seeds (the seeds are as large as walnuts and are often mistaken for small bulbs)
the seeds can be planted and they will grow into Crinum lilies like their parents.
Like all plants, Crinum and Hymenocallis grow faster with fertilizer and humus around
them. Unlike many plants they will survive ponding and submersion. So if you have an
area of your yard which floods and ponds regularly you can plant Crinum and
Hymenocallis in that area. These plants lend a tropical atmosphere to any planting due
to their large clumps of strap-like foliage and beautiful flowers.
Yet another member of the amaryllis family which is a common “pass-along” plant in
LaBelle is the diminutive rain lily (Zephyranthes), also known as the zephyr lily and
magic lily. This is a small but robust plant with a long blooming season. It blooms in late
summer to early fall, typically two days or so after a rain, thus the name. It grows from 6
to 10 inches tall. The leaves are a deep glossy green and tiny, like a grass. The flowers
are erect and are clear white, pink or yellow. These plants grow best in full sun or partial
shade. The bulb is commonly found in bulb catalogues as a “minor” bulb. It is
underutilized in our landscape, doing well in masses.
Rain Lilies
Still another member of the amaryllis plant family that does well in LaBelle gardens is
the exotic Aztec lily or Sprekelia. It looks like some orchids with its elongated throat and
brilliant orange red color. Like other members of the family it does well in sun or semishade with ample water. It doesn’t like standing water.
Aztec Lily
Still another member of the amaryllis family to do well in LaBelle is the Eucharis or
amazon lily. This is another one of those lilies that can live for centuries.
Eucharist Lily (amazon lily)
‘Canadian Border Patrol’ evergreen Daylilies
Daylilies (Hemerocallis) get their name from the fact that each flower lasts only a single
day. The plants make up for this by having a succession of many beautiful blooms,
producing flowers for a period that can span several weeks. There are three types of
daylilies; deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen. Only evergreen do well in LaBelle.
Labelle’s sun will rapidly fade red, pink and purple daylilies to a brownish color: yellows,
golds and oranges are better choices.
Evergreen daylilies need to be watered frequently throughout our dry season and
should be fertilized frequently. If given such a treatment in LaBelle evergreen daylilies
will grow well and spread. Evergreen daylilies can be purchased from internet nurseries
specializing in daylilies.
Canna lilies are planted both for their beautiful flowers and their often boldly variegated
foliage. They do best in LaBelle in full sun with frequent fertilization every month or so.
Canna Lilies
Canna lilies are “over hybridized” and don’t do well on poor shell soils. All the ones
labelled “Tropicanna” died in my alkaline shell soil. “Pretoria” lived? They are common
plants in local nurseries and home improvement centers.
A small lily which is underutilized is the crimson flag, Schizostylis coccinea. An iris
relative, crimson flag is easy to grow.
Another Iris relative which grows like a weed in LaBelle is the tigidia or tiger flower. The
name tiger flower is probably a reference to the spotted jaguar of South America which
is called “tiger” or “tigre” by Latin Americans.
True irises such as the bearded iris don’t do well in LaBelle gardens. A few, such as
Louisiana and Japanese iris will grow in pond water in LaBelle. Two iris relatives which
look like irises are the walking iris (Neomarica) and the fortnight lily (Dietes iridioides).
Walking iris
Both grow well in LaBelle and are common “pass-along” plants. The walking iris gets its
name from its flower stalks. After blooming the flower stalks bend to the ground and
start new plantlets. It prefers sunny to partial shade conditions and average moisture as
does the fortnight lily. Both plants have flowers which typically only last one day.
Fortnight lily
All flowering perennials, including lilies and other bulbs, flower best if the flowers are
“deadheaded” or removed after they have died but before they have gone to seed. This
channels the energy of the plant away from seeds and the plants will often re-bloom
much quicker and with more flowers.
One true lily (member of the genus Lilium) that will definitely grow in LaBelle is the eight
foot giant white lily known as the Formosan Lily. This grows so easily it has naturalized
throughout Florida and some consider it a weed. But its August flowers label it anything
but a weed. It can be obtained over the internet.
Formosan Lily
Tiger Lily ‘Splendens’
Another true lily which will grow well in LaBelle is the old tiger lily, Lilium tigrinum
‘Splendens’. Newer hybridized forms of the tiger lily will not grow in LaBelle. These
hybridized forms have been crossed with white, yellow, pink and red species from the
Lilium genus that only grow in cool climates. They won’t grow in LaBelle. The bulbs of
the old tiger lily ‘Splendens’ can be obtained over the internet.
Yet another true lily which grows in LaBelle is the common Easter Lily. Some internet
sources say it doesn’t do well in South Florida but there are existing beds of Easter lilies
that have been growing in LaBelle yards for many years. It grows in Labelle, Fort Myers
and Clewiston, and dies after one year in Miami. It needs a small amount of cold winter
dormancy.
Easter Lily
Some lilies, like the Tasmanian flax lily, Dianella, are widely grown in LaBelle only for
their variegated foliage, the flowers being insignificant.
Tasmanian flax lily
Another common bulb plant which is grown only for foliage is the caladium. Caladiums
require rich organic soil. The life span of caladiums is highly variable, with most dying in
just two to three years while some live for 25 years or more.
Caladium
There is one type of gladiolus that reportedly grows well in LaBelle and comes back
year after year. This is the dwarf butterfly gladiolus. These are descended from a
variety which grew in the mist of waterfalls so it can supposedly take winters in the
moist ground in stride. Try them if you are of an adventuresome spirit.
Dwarf butterfly gladiolus
Another small bulb which grows well in LaBelle and sometimes is available on the
garden club plant table is Oxalis triangularus, the purple shamrock.
Oxalis triangularus, purple shamrock.
One interesting lily which grows in LaBelle is the Gloriosa Lily (Glory Lily
'Rothschildiana' or Gloriosa superba). This lily is actually a vine and there used to be an
entire fence line of these plants in Fort Denaud.
Amorphophallus (various species) and Dracunculus vulgaris (aka: Viagra lily or dragon
arum) are exotic bulbs from the Arum family. After cold weather ends, the three to tenfoot-tall stalk of these weird plants emerges from the giant bulb and, in late February, is
topped with a deep burgundy to black flower. The stalk is mottled. In Amorphophallus
the flower dies before the leave emerges. In Dracunculus the flower and leave emerge
together. The flower has a foul smell, like rotten meat.
Dracunculus vulgaris
Another Arum family lily which grows well in LaBelle, especially in wet places, is the old
un-hybridized common white calla lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica. Several varieties exist,
all white in color. It is a “pass-along” plant available over the internet.
Common white calla lily
One lily which is commonly found in local home improvement nurseries is the hybridized
colored flower calla lily, typically with spotted leaves. This is not like the common white
calla lily and doesn’t survive in the ground in LaBelle.
Hybridized colored calla lily
Colored calla lily shouldn’t be planted in anything but pots where its peculiar needs can
be met. It needs to be well watered during its growing season of March through
November while it needs to be kept dry December through February for a dormant “rest
period”. Five other bulbs which require a winter dry dormancy are gladiolus, tuberous
begonias, blood lily (Scadoxus multiflorus) and tuberose. These five bulbs will succeed
in Labelle if their bulbs are in pots which are stored in dry conditions each winter.
Then there is yet another lily with the common name “spider lily”, Lycoris, which does
grow well in the ground in LaBelle. There are many species and colors from yellow to
red. The common form is called the hurricane lily and will live for years. It remains
dormant until the May rains come. In May or June the bulb will send up the red flower
on a stalk with no leaves. The leaves appear after the flowers and last for three or four
months.
Lycoris radiate (red spider lily, hurricane lily)
Ranunculus requires a dry summer dormancy and won’t grow in LaBelle. Asiatic lilies,
trumpet lilies, oriental lilies, border lilies, daffodils, narcissus, tulips, cardiocrinum,
hyacinths, deciduous daylilies, triplet lily (Triteleia) and crocus all need more cold
dormancy than LaBelle can give them. Some such as the “lily of the Nile”
(Agapanthus), dahlia, belladonna lily, freesia, montbretia and crocosmia are short lived
in the summer heat and rains of LaBelle and are best treated as annuals.
So, summarizing, the bulbs which can’t be grown in the ground as perennials in LaBelle
are Asiatic lilies, oriental lilies, trumpet lilies, border lilies, cardiocrinum, daffodils,
narcissus, tulips, hyacinths, crocus, African lily, “lily of the Nile” (Agapanthus), irises,
dahlia, belladonna lily, montbretia, crocosmia, triplet lily (Triteleia), hybridized colored
calla lilies, freesias, deciduous daylilies, most gladiolus, tuberose, tuberous begonias,
ranunculus, and hybrid tiger lilies.
Bulb plants which can definitely be grown in the ground in LaBelle are spider lily
Crinum, spider lily Hymenocallis, amaryllis, rain lily, Aztec lily, purple shamrock (Oxalis
triangularus), cannas, crimson flag, tigridia, evergreen daylilies, walking iris, glory lily,
fortnight lily, Formosan lily, spider lily Lycoris, tiger lily ‘Splendens’, Easter Lily, common
white calla lily, Eucharis, Tasmanian flax lily, Amorphophallus (various species),
Dracunculus vulgaris and caladium. Then you have a “maybe” in the butterfly gladiolus.
It should be noted that the term “hybrid” normally means more vigorous, long lasting
growth. Among bulbs and lilies in LaBelle just the opposite seems to be true. The less
hybridized the plant the greater its vigor in LaBelle. The same holds true for hibiscus,
cannas, vinca and roses in LaBelle. The more “old fashioned” (and the cheaper!) the
variety, the better it seems to do. The newer hybrids just can't seem to take the heat,
humidity, poor soils and low fertility of LaBelle.
Note that even old varieties of bulbs rarely thrive in the poor sandy soil of LaBelle. All of
them need an occasional application of palm fertilizer in order to multiply and do well.
Most all these lilies can be obtained over the internet from Amazon or for bulb
companies such as Michigan Bulb or Brecks.
Note that there are ways to grow even the stubbornest bulbs in LaBelle if you’re willing
to put in the effort. Bulbs which require winter dormancy can be packed in sawdust in
the refrigerator for four months in the winter. Bulbs which don’t like the water and heat
of the rainy season can be grown in special fast draining media in pots in morning sun.
These bulbs will typically need to be sprayed with a systemic insecticide and fungicides
at least once a month.
Dahlia and bulbous begonia can be buried six inches deep in the soil and given six
inches of pine mulch and can be grown for a few years if well fertilized and sprayed
often for insects and fungi.
Dave Bogert DLBoge2@gmail.com