This little bulb from South America is a dependable bloomer in Texas gardens

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Here’s a little bulb you can give to a friend and know you’ll be remembered for the rest of that friend’s life. This plant is that dependable in Texas gardens.

Oxblood lilies have bloomed this week (give or take a few days) every year without fail for the past 45 years. That’s since daylily grower Tom Hughes of Mansfield gave me a start right out of his garden.

It was June, and I was there outside the little rural town of Mansfield on U.S. 287 where Tom had his daylily farm. (My, how times have changed us all!) I had bought a bunch of great daylilies, and Tom asked if I’d ever grown oxblood lilies. I told him I’d not only never grown it, I’d never even seen it. He went over to a row and dug up 20 or 30 bulbs and put them down into a sack. He told me if I planted them when I got home I’d love them the rest of my life.

And that’s why I’ve called this meeting today. I did as Tom instructed. And I have loved them with passion. Tom’s bulbs have multiplied wonderfully into a nice patch in their original part of my garden. They’re in full bloom right now, standing 12 or 14 inches tall with their golfball-sized deep red flowers hanging slightly downward. They make many of us think of tiny amaryllis blooms. Except there are 10 times as many.

Oxblood lilies grow 12 to 14 inches and are a dependable plant for Texas gardeners.

The flower stalks last about a week, then everything is over. Or so you think. Just about that time, a second round of blooms pops out of the ground. Slender little stalks shoot up like asparagus spears, and just a day or two later they’re all topped with glorious blossoms. And most years the magic is repeated a third time. You just have to love this cheerful little bulb that blooms its heart out every fall.

And it’s only then that it starts sending out multitudes of leaves. Long, slender, dark green and glossy leaves that resemble foliage of daffodils. The leaves persist through the rest of the fall, all of the winter, and into the spring. Eventually they turn yellow and then brown, and that’s when it’s safe to trim and remove them. That’s the time — from very late spring into early August — that you can dig, divide, and share your bulbs with your friends, especially with young children who can carry the story forward for generations. This is what gardening is all about. I’m sure Tom knew that’s what I’d be doing with you.

Things you’ll want to know Native home: Argentina. According to the website masterofhort.com, German immigrant/botanist/horticulturist Peter Oberwetter introduced this bulb from Argentina to the Texas Hill Country in the 1870s. Texas gardeners took over from there.

Scientific name: Rhodophiala bifida

Common names: Oxblood lily, Schoolhouse lily (because its flowers appear about the time schools open up for another year)

Height: 12-14 inches

Color: Red, although pink is also sold (variations of red are also sold)

Flower size: silver-dollar size

USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10

Sun/shade: Morning sun to full sun

Bloom time: September

Planting time: Summer

Planting depth: 3 inches (several bulbs per clump, with clumps 4 to 5 inches apart. Avoid straight rows.)

Soil preference: Any type, but good drainage is a must

Availability: May be found in local independent retail garden centers specializing in rare bulbs, but you’re usually limited to online sources such as Southern Bulb Company in Texas and Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina. I see it on Etsy and I’ve even bought it from eBay. Be warned that the large bulbs (preferable) may seem pricey, but they will multiply rapidly. You need to know that rare plants like this do cost several dollars.

That’s my story, then, on a fabulous little South American bulb that has become one of my all-time favorites. I’m so grateful for my buddy Tom for sharing his bounty that warm June day. I hope you feel the same way.

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