Hardy Amaryllis

Our dear friends Evelyn and the late Harold Womble, have shared Hardy Amaryllis bulbs with us at the Demonstration Garden on Joe Field Road and now at Midway Hills.  Their home is graced with a  large bed of these bulbs that have multiplied over the years and ended up in their son’s gardens and friend’s gardens. Their original bulbs came from Evelyn’s family home place in Brownwood.

Evelyn, Hardy Amaryllis and Daffodils, All Blooming!

Hippeastrum x johnsonii, the St. Joseph’s lily, blooms in early April in Dallas. The bright red blooms, trumpet shaped, are striped with white. The strap like foliage lasts late into the year and looks tropical.

Because the bulb perennializes so well it is often called the finest amaryllis for southern gardens.

In Perennial Garden Color, Dr Bill C. Welch calls the bulbs “living antiques because they are tangible symbols of success for generations of Southern gardeners.  Many have been lovingly handed down among the families that contribute cultural diversity and richness to our gardens.”

We will now have our own supply of “living antiques” thanks to Harold and Evelyn.

Ann

Pictures by Starla