This week has been pleasant for mid-September. It is rare this time of year for us to be cool and cloudy during the day without the help of a cold front. I thank Hurricane Nicolas for bringing us a change in the weather. We were forecast to get 2 inches of rain, but only a quarter of an inch fell. At least the clouds and breeze kept it in the low eighties for a few days.
Such weather is perfect for admiring the emerging scapes on a lovely peach-colored Lycoris in my garden. My starts came from the Smith County Master Gardener bulb sale that’s held every fall in Tyler, TX. The name on this plant is a bit muddled. So, I reached out to Greg Grant who is the extension agent for Smith County to get his take on them.
Greg said that he was the source of this particular cultivar for the sale. His clone has gone by the names Lycoris × elsiae and Lycoris carnea over the years, but the name Lycoris × albiflora ‘Dorman’ is the most accurate name currently. Greg said that his plants came from Cleo Barnwell of Shreveport, LA who got them from Sam Caldwell, a well-known Lycoris breeder who lived in Nashville, TN.
Lycoris × albiflora ‘Dorman’ emerges for fall in the garden.
I like to throw Lycoris × albiflora ‘Dorman’ into fall bouquets. I’m skimping until I have a few more scapes to use.
No matter the name or the source, this Lycoris is a beautiful addition to the late summer and early fall garden. It starts blooming about three weeks ahead of my Lycoris radiata. My scapes have doubled from four last fall to nine this year, and I feel comfortable the plants have reached a size for dividing. It’s also time to find a better spot for them. I’ll be honest. When I first got the tunicate bulbs, I just threw them in a perennial bed.
A close up of Lycoris × albiflora ‘Dorman’. The flowers open more pink and then fade to a peachy white.
I’m contemplating where to put them to create a good plant combination to play off the color. Siting for contrast doesn’t feel right because the flower has hints of white that fades through butter, peach, and pink. So, I find myself looking more for color echo. I’ve been scratching my head looking around my home garden for perennial candidates but finding none at this time of the year. Then, I realized the flowers are the same color as the flowering Muhlenbergia reverchonii that we just planted this past spring in the gravel garden at school. I don’t have any yet at the house, but it’s now on my plant wish list to pair with this Lycoris for a peachy-keen color echo.
A photo of our gravel garden backlit by the afternoon sun. Muhlenbergia reverchonii (in the upper right) would provide a perfect back drop for Lycoris × albiflora ‘Dorman’ flowers emerging amongst the panicles.