Help in identifying/saving

20 years ago

I found a beautiful flower growing way out in the woods by a creek in August. Now there is no houses anywhere near the place for miles but old home stead sites are still visiable here and there. Where I found the plant is a low area where I'm sure no one would have ever built but somehow it got there. I am sure it is not native, I have never seen one before. I am no flower expert so try to understand what I am saying or trying to say and ask. The flowers got my attention and when I went to check it out I found the plant to remind me of an amarillus plant. The long stem that came up and had several shoots coming off of it that had really thin delicate white flowers on them kindda starrey/round shaped. Never saw anything like it before. I went back to the same spot a week later and someone had poorly dug it up. They left parts of the plant all over. I found no bulb. The only part I did find was the root part that attaches to the bottom of a bulb with very little to none bulb attached. Again it reminded me an amarillus roots on its bulb. It was part in the ground and part out. I took this home and have placed it in a pot with potting soil. I am really interested in this plant due to because I have never seen one before and it was really beautiful. Will the portion I have live and form a bulb or is the entire plant killed because someone cut the bulb away from the roots? Also just out of curiousity will the bulb they got live since they cut the roots off of the bulb? Any information would be helpful. If it is possible that my root part could live and form another bulb what is my best plan to do to give it the best environment possible? By this I mean, soil, water, fertilizer, temperature, etc. and to protect from dying from any form? Thanks for any information, Derek Thomas

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Comments (4)

ego45
20 years ago
Anything like this?
{{gwi:28009}}

If so, Lycoris squamigera aka surprise lily, magic lily, resurrection lily, naked lily. It's from Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis) family.
Theoretically, if you have a substantial portion of a basal plate and roots, it could create new plant in a next...4-5 years, I guess.
Plant is very common, multiply very fast and IMO not worth the trouble to baby it. Just buy a single bulb and in 5 years you'll have a forest of them.
BTW, you may want to go back to the site in a spring and look for the amaryllis-like foliage. Most likely that single flowering stake had at least few brothers and sisters growing around it.
geoforce
20 years ago
Being as you're in Georgia, I suggest hymenocallis as a possible. They used to be around where I grew up in Arkansas.

George

Here is a link that might be useful: Hymenocallis
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Nancy
20 years ago
As far as living, it is possible that your root may form new bulblets, but will probably take at least a couple of years to grow enough to bloom. If they didn't get any root, I don't think there is any chance the bulb can live.
dethomas
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks for the follow ups but unfortunatley none of the suggestions look like what I found. Also unfortunately, there is no other plants in the area-I looked really well. I like roaming the woods and occasionally I will stumble upon plants that were around an old home place. And for some reason I have an addiction to these old plants and take them home with me. The plant I have asked about in my original post was found and my intention was to go back and get when it stopped blooming and had died back some. The hymenocallis(or some varieties) is similar but not an exact match that I can find. From what I can remember it branched off and formed about 5-6 flowers off of the main stem. From what I can remember they were all white-and onion skin thin maybe about 2-3 inches diameter sorta shaped like stars. I'll more than likely never know, but hopefully the portion I have will oneday make a bulb and re-flower. I just thought it odd because it bloomed in August. That is odd for my area native plant or not. I'm just glad to know that it may make a full recovery in a few years-if I am lucky. Oneday if it makes it and re- blooms I will post pictures. Any suggestions on how to baby what I have. I replanted the other day and it is still living. Do I keep in a warm place this winter or keep under the house where I keep my other bulbs? I do not really mind spending extra care and time in babying this. Thanks,Derek