Thundering, rumbling black clouds slowly pulling a curtain over the blue sky makes us all heave a sigh of relief. Winds start blowing and I rush out from the hot, stuffy, humid interiors of my house not just to feel its coolness but also to collect clothes and other things that were left outside to dry. It starts drizzling soon, making me smile from ear to ear. Finally, its raining. Tiny raindrops start rolling over the long, slender leaves of Rain Lily that were earlier swaying with the wind.
As much as we long for monsoons, the Rain Lily perhaps is more eager for it. And it conveys its love for rains out and loud. One or two days of shower and you see several floral buds emerging from the midst of grass like leaves. Just a few more days and one morning you will be welcomed by a burst of colour in your garden as if every raindrop that fell on its leaves transformed itself into a flower. White, Yellow or Pink delicate six petalled flowers resting on slender green stalks, these are also known by the name Zephyr Lily.
Botanical name : Zephyranthes candida
Common name : Rain Lily, Zephyr Lily, Fairy Lily
Family : Amaryllidaceae
I have a white Rain Lily growing in a pot and placed under the open sky. The buds are creamish at first but later they bloom into white flowers.
It had been growing in a smaller pot before but was re-potted in a bigger one after the old one was broken when two notorious kittens knocked it over. Out of all the other plants that grow in our home, Rain Lily has always been a favourite of cats. Often it can be seen resting peacefully on top of it in winters, soaking in the warmth of the morning sun. In summers, when it is roaming around with its kittens from one house to another, the babies make it their favourite playing spot during their stopover at our house. They would play hide and seek and jump over it, thus breaking a few leaves and flattening the rest. Such nuisance they created that finally I grabbed all of its leaves and tied them lightly at the top with a nylon rope.
Fortunately the kittens are not around now. Otherwise, who knows what havoc they would have created with this plant that is in full bloom.
The flowers have six petals, six stamens and one carpel.
The peak period of flowering is during monsoons but the blossoms continue till autumn. In the months of October-November you could see the buds springing up, though fewer in number after a heavy shower. In winters it does not flower but its slender grass like foliage makes sure it stays looking beautiful all round the year.
The best way to grow Rain Lilies would be to plant them in the ground, as borders or under the partial shade of trees. A small clump or individual plants placed at little distance from each other would soon fill the space around them, as they propagate through underground bulbs. But if space is a constraint, they can be grown in pots too. Take care to thin them out when the pot gets filled. Removed plants can be sown in another pot. I re-potted the entire clump in a bigger one but even that is now getting smaller for them.
Don't they seem like singing, " Rain rain come again? "
As much as we long for monsoons, the Rain Lily perhaps is more eager for it. And it conveys its love for rains out and loud. One or two days of shower and you see several floral buds emerging from the midst of grass like leaves. Just a few more days and one morning you will be welcomed by a burst of colour in your garden as if every raindrop that fell on its leaves transformed itself into a flower. White, Yellow or Pink delicate six petalled flowers resting on slender green stalks, these are also known by the name Zephyr Lily.
Botanical name : Zephyranthes candida
Common name : Rain Lily, Zephyr Lily, Fairy Lily
Family : Amaryllidaceae
I have a white Rain Lily growing in a pot and placed under the open sky. The buds are creamish at first but later they bloom into white flowers.
It had been growing in a smaller pot before but was re-potted in a bigger one after the old one was broken when two notorious kittens knocked it over. Out of all the other plants that grow in our home, Rain Lily has always been a favourite of cats. Often it can be seen resting peacefully on top of it in winters, soaking in the warmth of the morning sun. In summers, when it is roaming around with its kittens from one house to another, the babies make it their favourite playing spot during their stopover at our house. They would play hide and seek and jump over it, thus breaking a few leaves and flattening the rest. Such nuisance they created that finally I grabbed all of its leaves and tied them lightly at the top with a nylon rope.
Fortunately the kittens are not around now. Otherwise, who knows what havoc they would have created with this plant that is in full bloom.
The flowers have six petals, six stamens and one carpel.
The peak period of flowering is during monsoons but the blossoms continue till autumn. In the months of October-November you could see the buds springing up, though fewer in number after a heavy shower. In winters it does not flower but its slender grass like foliage makes sure it stays looking beautiful all round the year.
The best way to grow Rain Lilies would be to plant them in the ground, as borders or under the partial shade of trees. A small clump or individual plants placed at little distance from each other would soon fill the space around them, as they propagate through underground bulbs. But if space is a constraint, they can be grown in pots too. Take care to thin them out when the pot gets filled. Removed plants can be sown in another pot. I re-potted the entire clump in a bigger one but even that is now getting smaller for them.
Don't they seem like singing, " Rain rain come again? "
