Blog by Michelle Schlegel
It’s that time of year when the Amaryllis belladonna blooms. They are a bulb originally from South Africa, but have naturalized here in many parts of California. These Amaryllis survive with just our winter rains, but in dryer years, they benefit from some extra water. Amaryllis belladonna is a different variety you see at Christmas time.
When planting these bulbs in our area, plant them with about 1/3 of the bulb above the soil line and in well-draining soil. They may take a year or two to bloom after planting, as they don’t like to be disturbed.
Foliage appears after the winter rains but dies back in late spring. Then suddenly, in late August to September, the bulbs grow a stalk with about 12 blooms of beautiful, fragrant, light pink flowers. The common name of “naked ladies” comes from their blooming with a bare stalk of flowers but no foliage.
I usually only saw these in older residential areas and not so much in modern gardens. They are starting to make a comeback, though. I also used to live in a historic district where these were a common sight. Later on, we moved, and I brought a few bulbs with me to plant at my new home.
Eventually, they multiplied, and I shared some of the bulbs with my neighbor, Bill, and his wife. It took a while for them to acclimate to his place. All was well and quiet in the neighborhood until Bill called one day and said, “after 40 years of living here, I finally have naked ladies in my garden!”