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Naked Ladies
Naked Ladies
Botanical Name

Amaryllis belladonna
Family
Amaryllis Family (Amaryllidaceae). A large family with more than 1000 species closely related to the Lily Family. Most are herbaceous perennials with bulbous roots. Includes many plants cultivated for their attractive flowers, such as Agapanthus, Narcissus, and Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily).
Origin
Native to South Africa
 
At Hearst Castle
Planted in 1995 at east end of South Terrace and in back courtyard of Casa Grande.
 
Description
A bulb with bold, straplike leaves in clumps 2-3 feet across in fall and winter; dormant in late spring and early summer. Flowers appear in August or September before the leaves grow; clusters of trumpet-shaped pink flowers grow atop tall stalks; flowers very fragrant.
Comments
The common name "Naked Lady" refers to the fact that the flowers appear before the leaves do. It is conceivable that W. R. Hearst grew this bulb at San Simeon, but it is not mentioned in the Julia Morgan correspondence or other historic records. Naked Ladies easily naturalize in this Mediterranean climate with little or no care, in almost any kind of soil.

 



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