NERINE OR LYCORIS
A month or so ago I made a trip to Austerlitz, New York to tour the house and gardens of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. The property, called Steepletop, after a flowering shrub that flourishes in the area, was Millay’s primary residence from 1925 until her death in 1950. Both house and gardens are in the process of restoration and renovation under the aegis of the non-profit Millay Foundation. The property opened for public tours for the first time earlier this summer.
Long neglected, the gardens were engulfed by invasive plants until the process of clearance commenced about three years ago. Now that the invasives are vanquished, less aggressive plants, some of which were installed and tended by Millay herself, are coming back. Towards the end of the garden tour, we saw one such plant. The single, pink trumpet-shaped flower caught our attention from a distance. When we got closer we saw that it bloomed atop a thick, 18-inch stem. There were no leaves in sight–not a basal rosette or leaves sprouting from the stems. The flower stood alone. The Millay Foundation’s gardener asked me what I thought it was.
The common name “naked lady” came to mind. It was particularly appropriate for something growing at Steepletop, as the uninhibited Edna Millay always insisted that her guests swim naked in her spring-fed swimming pool. In this case, “naked lady” was one of the common names used to describe two plants: Nerine bowdenii and Lycoris squamigera.
Both genera–Lycoris and Nerine–are part of the large amaryllis or Amaryllidaceae family. They resemble and are related to Hippeastrum, better known as the ubiquitous holiday and winter-flowering amaryllis. Both were originally described by nineteenth century botanist, Dr. William Herbert–Nerine in 1820 and Lycoris in 1821. There are about 30 species of Nerine, all native to South Africa. Lycoris is a genus containing 11 species, all native to eastern Asia. In the wonderful reference work, The Botanical Garden by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix, the two genera even share the same illustrated page.
Species in both genera have trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of red, white or pink with six petals apiece. Lycoris flowers may also have yellow petals. Both genera have long, strap-like leaves and bloom at around the same time of year. Lycoris leaves are always absent at flowering time. Nerine leaves, according to Phillips and Rix, may be “present or absent” when the plant flowers.
Trying to figure out which plant I saw at Steepletop, I thought about hardiness. Austerlitz is near the Massachusetts/New York State border, which is definitely a cold winter climate. Nerine bowdenii, named for and first brought to England by plant collector Cornish Bowden in 1903, is hardy under such conditions. Lycoris squamigera, is also winter hardy.
The reference books described both genera as bearing flowers in “loose umbels” or large, rounded clusters. The flower I saw was single and looked much like a smaller than normal, single-flowered amaryllis. I chalked the single-flower issue up to years of neglect. Nerines and Lycoris grow from large bulbs, just like amaryllis. Years of being subsumed by nutrient-stealing invasive plants probably took their toll on the specimen, leaving it with only enough energy to put out one flower.
So, what was the correct identification? At Steepletop I told the gardener that I thought the orphan bloom was a Nerine. I think now that it was a Lycoris. After looking at many photos and illustrations of pink Nerine bowdenii and pink Lycoris squamigera, I am convinced that the Lycoris looks more like the specimen I saw. Nerine has slightly wavy, reflexed or back-curved petals, with stamens that are longer than the petals. Lycoris has wider petals that appear trumpet-like, but not reflexed. In the American south, Lycoris is much more likely to go by the common name “naked lady.”
The upshot of all this comparison is that I have decided that I should have both plants in my garden. Of course, for now I will have to settle for writing the idea in my garden notebook, as neither will be available until retailers begin offering their summer/fall blooming plants next winter and spring. If you are interested in Lycoris or Nerine, go to Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, 7900 Daffodil Lane, Gloucester, VA, 23061, (804) 693-3966, www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. Free catalog.