Belladonna Lilies

Belladonna lilies are excellent bloomers for dry conditions. They seem to suddenly bloom immediately after thunderstorms in midsummer--the very electrical sort. They can stand dreadful heat, but seem to like a bit of water to keep their bulbs fat and juicy enough for survival until the winter cool, which is the time when their (glossy and attractive) leaves grow.

They certainly are pretty, and loved by everyone. I like the perfume; and so, too, do the bees. The pink ones are those most commonly seen. The white ones, with yellow hearts, are less common; but it's well worth the effort to search the bulb suppliers for them, as well. If you want differing shades of pinks, simply save the seeds after blooming. They look like small pink pearls, and swell into bulbs when you raise them in rich potting mix. It is an exercise in patience, however. To get a bulb to its first bloom takes some years. I got mine, anyway, to the size of oranges; and it all paid off--with the seedlings of far more interesting shades than the same old ubiquitous pink variety sold in shops.

When a clump of belladonna gets too thick, you can divide the bulbs up and propagate them that way. Of course, to do that, it would be best to do it when they are in their dormant stage.

The white variety would be excellent for those sorts of little bush churchyards and cemeteries that have to get by with little water, and little care.