A Story of a Naked Lady (Amaryllis Belladona)

Preface: Thought I'd better put the botanical name in the subject so the moderator's wouldn't kick me out!

Now... onto the story...

Naked Ladies are popping up all over the area. Some yards are just covered in them. One of my neighbor's fenceline is full of them.



neighbor's fence ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

Last year I had some pop up over by my brother's storage building. But none so far. I even dug up a clump and put it in my flower bed. No sign of them there either.

But then... a row of them popped up by my storage building. This is the same area where the daffodils grow in the spring (there used to be a fence there long time ago). Hmmm.... wonder why they like fencelines so much?



row of Amaryllis Belladonas (Naked Ladies) ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


And then the other day, something caught my eye over by the house where my little flower cart is. I thought... wow... one of the succulents is going to put out a nice flower. So I vowed to keep an eye on it.

Come to find out... it was one of the "Ladies". How did she get in one of those little containers??



( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

Upon closer inspection... I couldn't believe what I saw.




( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )

I've never seen one grow over there. But what I can't figure out is how she squeezed out of that little crack???

Those "ladies" sure are a sneaky, determined bunch of travelers!
:-D

 

That is cool. I have tried to grow them in the garden and in the greenhouse. They get leaves but never never a flower. We are right at the edge of where they don't like it. I see 2 houses with them in bloom around town. I always take pics of them. Everyone thinks I am nuts.

Just love them.

 

Cheryl, please be careful with these ladies - For all parts of this plant are poisonous if accidentally ingested. However the poison is most concentrated in the bulbs. So if you have any pets who roam freely in the yard, and like Dogs who also enjoy digging up plants for no reason - Then please be extra careful. As this plant contains Phenanthridine Alkaloids!

Many years ago I once read a news report about some woman who killed her own mother-in-law with his poison, (as payback for all the mental torture she had suffered at the hands of that old lady). That's why the image of this plant got stuck in my head... The woman who did this was extremely clever, and nobody would have even found out - Had she not bragged about it in a goodbye note she left for her husband and his whole family, (after running away with the kids). If I remember correctly, she still hasn't been caught...

I think someone tried to make a movie or a TV mini series out of this too - But since the woman was never caught, a TV show with such an ending would have given the wrong message. As it would have encouraged mentally depressed people to take such action against those who they perceived as enemies.

Anyway, I think the woman dug up about a dozen bulbs. Cut then all up and boiled together until there was nothing left but a concentrated paste... That anyway is what was reported in the media. So I'm sure there must be some other trick to it also which never came in print - Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the lady did have a master's degree in organic chemistry!

 

A friend of mine sent me some bulbs earlier this week!
My plan is to plant a few now and save the rest to plant in the spring. I'm not too sure they'll survive my zone 6 winter :-? Yours are great!!!!

 

Very nice, they are 'proper' bulbs aren't they, good for cutting .good in pots too, great all round.
Here that flower is called a nerine..it is the same family though.

 

Thanks everyone! They look the best in large masses. I hope mine continue to multiply.

S-H... I'm not worried about them. First off my dog doesn't dig up stuff. And really... probably most plants are poisonous if ingested... especially in a dose like you mentioned.

So, I'll just leave them alone and hope they spread themselves around.

 

They way they are popping up different places it sounds like they should be called 'wandering amaryllis'. How long does the flower last? I hope a long time as pretty as yours are.

 

2... they seem to last just over a week.

 

That's very true (about most plants being poisoned) - Still I just had to voice my concerns, on the off chance that someone might be unaware... Just wouldn't have been able to live with myself had (God forbid) something unfortunate happened, and I remained silent - While I should have spoken out. I mean I hate to see myself like that in hindsight.

However that said, why is it that plants which are poisonous, also happen to be the most pleasing to the eye? Just wondering why this is so in nature...

 

Thanks for the warning SH. It is appreciated.
And you're so right about nature... it's like nasty weeds can grow in the worst conditions, but we have to struggle to keep one of favorites alive.

 

Yet isn't is also amazing that we are easily fooled by poisonous plants (as they do look good) - But birds and animals in the wild somehow already know that they should stay clear of them.

We seem to put down our knowledge in documentation, for that is how we pass skills from one person or one generation to another. Yet animals seem to have this process automated! Only when we start to keep animals ourselves, and raise them as our pets, (whom I actually consider as family members) - Is when they too start to make catastrophic mistakes when it comes to differentiating a harmless plant from a dangerous one. Exactly like humans, who too are unaware...

So what is it exactly, that we as people are doing wrong??? I know this is a bit off topic, but it's a question that I have been wondering about for a very long time now. And believe it or not, I haven't been able to find a satisfactory answer. All I know is that eons ago, when we moved out of the caves and created civilizations and settlements - We lost something on our way, which animals in the wild seem to have retained. As they by instinct know which plants to avoid.

Come to think of it, I've also heard that newborn human babies also (by instinct) know how to swim. However as adults, many people who can't swim end up drowning...