CONTACT: PATTY ALLEN 
LAND LINE:281-441-8646   CELL PHONE: 713-471-4383
           E-MAIL:PRALLEN2@PEOPLEPC.COM  

This page updated on 02/09/10

Rhodophiala bifida

Better known in the South as “School House Lily or Hurricane Lily”, as both these events take place in the late summer or early autumn of the year. These little beauties have been sold by some nurseries as a miniature amaryllis. They do have the same out-facing red blooms as the hardy amaryllis ( H.x johnsonii ), minus the white stripe on the interior of the blossoms. They are also commonly known as "Oxblood Lily", due to the dark, blood-red coloration of their blossoms! These grow prolifically throughout the mid to lower regions of the state of Texas and in many other regions, as these are sold also from catalogs to customers all over the United States.

You can hardly kill these tiny beauties. I forgot a bushel of them that got pushed to the back of my garage one September about 4 years ago, (ones I had dug up but were to small to sell and were supposed to have been replanted). Well, a year later, in late August, I noticed something red blooming in the back of the garage. There were several of the lilies throwing up some beautiful blooms right there in that bushel basket just like they were out in the middle of the flower bed. Needless to say, I immediately planted them, and to my surprise, the majority of those lilies sent up a bloom stalk. These bulbs are not particular as to soil. They will grow in most any kind and will prosper even in fairly heavy shade. The bloom stalks will be taller in shade than ones planted where they get the full blast of our South Texas summer heat waves, but they bloom just as well. Another thing about oxblood lilies is you don’t have to worry about how far down to plant them. Just plant them to their neck. They will dig themselves down to where they are happy (and that can be really far down)! I have dug oxbloods where they were growing deep enough that the sharpshooter I was using had oxbloods from the tip of the blade to where the blade attached to the wooden handle!! Talk about happy bulbs!!

Another beautiful addition to your summer garden is the gorgeous blossoms on the PINK Rhodophiala bifida. Here in Texas we have been growing them for about 5 years and they have the same requirements as the red Oxblood.  Fairly decent soil, moisture to get started just sit back and watch them grow and multiply. Both reds and pinks produce little bulblets at their base, some more than others. I have counted up to 15 babies at the base of some very mature bulbs. They require watering during their growing season, fall through spring. From spring through late summer (Aug) they are dormant. In late August they begin to put their little spears above ground and by the last of August and through the majority of September (depending on rain and weather conditions), they put on a show unrivaled by any bulb. With the sun low in the west on a September afternoon and a bed 4’x 32’ long full of beautiful blood-red blossoms, that bed looks like it is on fire. A gorgeous sight to see!!

Rhodophiala bifida  (pink oxblood lily)...............$15.00 per bulb
(only sold in mixed shades of pink )

Rhodophiala bifida  (red oxblood lily).................Ship; May-Oct............ $ 5.00 per bulb

   "These are my red oxblood beds after Hurricane Ike came through in 2008."

"This is a view of the same bed after flowering and shows how the red oxblood sets seeds."

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE WONDERFUL HEIRLOOM BULBS, PLEASE CONTACT PATTY ALLEN AT 281-441-8646 OR EMAIL ME AT prallen2@peoplepc.com