Sprekelia formosissima
Common Names: Aztec lily, Jacobean lily, St. Jame's lily, orchid
lily
Family: Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis Family)
Perennial Can be Grown in Containers Flowers
Description
Aztec lily is like other members of the amaryllis family: It is a
bulb that produces a rosette of strap shaped leaves and a single,
showy flower with six tepals. The leaves grow to about 20 in (50 cm)
long and come out in spring about the same time as the flower. The
flower is about 5 in (13 cm) across and brilliant scarlet or
crimson. The flowers are bilaterally symmetrical, like an orchid:
they have a broad, erect upper tepal, 2 narrow lateral tepals, and
three narrow partly fused hanging tepals. The flower stands on its
scape about 12 in (30 cm) above ground, and the bulb itself is about
2 in (5 cm) in diameter. Named cultivars include a white flowered
lily, one whose red tepals are edged in white and one that has a
golden strip down the center of the upper tepal.
Location
Sprekelia formosissima is the only species in the genus. It occurs
naturally in Mexico and Guatemala, characteristically on rocky
hillsides.
Culture
Light: Grow Aztec lilies in full sun.
Moisture: Treat Aztec lilies like any other bulb; they like plenty
of water when putting out new leaves and when blooming, but they
like it dry when dormant.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8-11. Aztec lily is nearly frost-tender, but
it can be grown in climates that receive only light frosts, as long
as the bulb is protected in winter with some mulch.
Propagation: Little offset bulblets can be separated and replanted
in autumn. Plant the bulbs so that the top (neck and shoulders) are
just above ground level.
Usage
Some people grow Aztec lilies in a pot. Potted lilies should be kept
in full light when growing. As the leaves fade, reduce watering and
then keep dry while dormant. Aztec lilies can be grown outdoors in
areas that get frost, but they must be lifted in late autumn and
stored dry in a frostfree location.
Features
Aztec lily is sometimes sold under the name Amaryllis formosissima.
The amaryllis family gives us many popular garden bulbs including
magic lily (Amaryllis belladonna), crinum lily (Crinum asiatica),
hurricane lily (Lycoris radiata), the daffodils (Narcissus spp.),
and atamasco lily (Zephyranthes atamasca). |
