These little twisted buds will soon open to reveal the sweet flowers of Blackberry Lily. I've heard Belamcanda chinensis called by many different common names. Blackberry Lily , Candy Lily and Leopard Lily all describe various cultivars of this great all-season plant.
I can see the reasoning behind the name, Candy Lily, in my own flowers. They are just a sweet, candy colored blend of pink, yellow and orange. The sword shaped leaves stand three feet tall with the bloom spikes rising above them.
There are some of these lilies which have red-brown spots on the petals. The name, Leopard Lily aptly fits those. My lilies, though, have no spots.
The name, Blackberry Lily, comes from the berries that form after the blooms are spent. The flowers are produced all summer long then the "blackberries" give fall/winter interest. I left many of the seeds on the plant because of their beauty and in hopes for seedlings to pop up this spring.
Hey Kay...Wow, your blackberry lilies are way ahead of mine. My plants are tall but there's no sign of flower spikes yet. They are wonderful plants with lovely flowers...a definite must-have.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I started mine from seeds late last year, and somehow they grow very slow. Mine are only 4 or 5 inches tall now. I am not sure if I will see the flowers this year. Are yours in a sunny or partial shade area?
ReplyDeleteWay of me, Kay... no bud spikes even on mine. But the foliage is multiplied and and I LOVE it all year long.
ReplyDeleteYours are spreading nicely.They are cheery, delicate-looking, and sturdy all at once. Love them.
Meems
Way AHEAD of me... :-)
ReplyDeleteWay ahead of miine too.Lots of foliage,but no spikes.Most of mine I started from seed last year.
ReplyDeleteSusan - Well, that's funny that mine are ahead of yours since I got these from you last year! I thought they bloomed later last year but when they started this year I figured it was just because they had to get settled.
ReplyDeleteAmi - Glad to hear your seeds sprouted. I'm going to try seeds in some pots so I can move some around to other parts of the garden. I'm not sure many of the seeds I let fall on the ground sprouted. Mine get morning sun for a few hours then dappled shade.
Meems - Bloom spikes must be coming soon to everyone. I love these plants for their height and foliage and of course, their cold hardiness!
ChrisC - Another good report on starting these from seeds. Yay! I'm hoping to get lots more started around here. I've never seen these for sale anywhere.