Surprise Lily Can Be Planted Anytime

Q: I accidentally dug up some Amaryllis belladonna bulbs. When is a good time to replant them? Some of ‘em are big! 

A: Even though the second word of this flower’s Latin name means ‘pretty woman,’ their common name is ‘naked ladies.’ They get this name from their habit of sprouting leaves in spring, only to have them die and disappear in June.

But come August, when a gardener might regret devoting a square inch of garden to this drab plant, one morning there’s a beautiful bunch of pink, trumpet-shaped flowers! Surprise! (Another name for this flower is ’surprise lily.’)

I’m surprised you hit the bulbs of this lily by accident. Some of these suckers are as big as two fists. So now comes the simple answer to your question: Amaryllis belladonna can be planted any time in the Atlanta area with two cautions: if planted in fall, be sure to mulch thickly with pine straw for protection from cold; if planted in late spring, be sure to water regularly in summer.