submitted by Tom Ganser

Photos are of resurrection lilies I took on the morning of August 11, 2020.

These very low maintenance flowers put up the stem and the flower over just a few days – like less than a week.  Resurrection (also “surprise” and “magic”) lilies are a glorious part of the natural rhythm that’s very encouraging and welcoming in our very non-natural COVID-19 world.

Information about resurrection lily (also known as surprise lily and magic lily)

Lycoris squamigera is an herbaceous plant with basal, simple leaves, which are not present when the flowers emerge from the crown. The leaves sprout and grow in the spring, then die back during June; flowers appear in late July or early August. The flowers are white or pink and fragrant. The flowers spring dramatically from the ground in mid to late summer; it usually takes only four to five days from first emergence to full bloom. This suddenness is reflected in its common names: surprise lily, magic lily, and resurrection lily.

What makes it surprising is that about this time (August) every year, they just pop out of the ground with no leaves or foliage of any sort.

Resurrection lily (Lycoris squamigera) is a beautiful and unusual plant with a number of familiar names, including surprise lily, magic lily and naked lily. Strappy green leaves emerge from bulbs in the fall or spring, dying down to leave only tall, bare stems in the summer. In late summer or early autumn, a colorful cluster of striking, fragrant blooms appears on top of each stem.