Friday, June 20, 2008

Pride of Barbados and Yellow Rain Lilies

The Pride of Barbados are so spectacular right now I could not resist posting some more images of them. This plant LOVES the heat and is drought tolerant. I think mine has been watered once all spring. It will freeze back to the ground in the winter, but as long as it is mulched it will come back from the ground in the spring. Mine are actually planted in a fairly sheltered spot, so they never completely freeze back. They stay green and about 6 inches to a foot tall throughout the winter.

Here is a wide shot of the Pride of Barbados:



A shot from the side:



A close-up view:



I also noticed that one of my yellow rain lilies bloomed today. It was dwelling in a flower bed that got a sprinkler shower yesterday - I guess it liked that.

Rain lily bud:



Rain lily flower:



A little closer look at the flower filaments:

4 comments:

Diana said...

Lee17 - Great flowers! I love the Pride of Barbados as well. Lost one last winter but I have two that are green and growing. No blooms on mine yet as they are very young trees, but I can't wait for a month from now when they will likely show for me. The Rain lilies are so pretty - simple and delicate.

Annie in Austin said...

Hello Lee17,

Pride of Barbados always look spectacular, and yours are especially nice! I've never grown one - duranta and esperanza are annual in my garden and I'm afraid the caesalpina would be annual too.

Nice rain lily! Do you also have the native white-blooming coopers rainlily?

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Lee17 said...

Diana,

Thank you! Yeah, mine never froze back all the way last winter so they are probably blooming a little earlier than the ones that did.

I love rain lilies. They aren't something I could have back up north, so I am really enjoying having them down here ;)

Lee17 said...

Annie,

Thanks! Mine seem to be extra-spectacular this year. I am quite sure it is due to the extra hot spring and summer we are having. My esperanza seem to come back for me every year. It is weird actually, because my neighbor seems to lose hers every winter. Maybe I am mulching better. I dunno.

Yes, I do have the coopers rainlily. I found some bulbs in a rock a couple years ago, didn't know what they were, and stuffed them in the ground. Then this spring - surprise! - A big ol' white rain lily. It went to seed and I spread the seeds around, so hopefully I will have more ;)