Tag Archives: Amaryllis belladonna

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I'll let Mark tell the story. He wrote, "Hi, Jeanne!  On my way back to the Lighthouse from S&B Market the other day my eye was caught by an explosion of pink in the Evergreen Cemetery off of Mountain View Road.  I pulled into the cemetery and there were Naked Ladies everywhere!  I walked around the grounds taking pictures and looking at some of the headstones from the 1800s, and at the far end of the cemetery a fox decided to join me on my walk.  It stopped by one of the headstones and looked at me as if to say, aren't these flowers amazing?

Amazing, indeed and it's fun to see the Gray Fox! Naked ladies are non-native bulbs. By the time the flower stalk comes up, the leaves are gone - hence the naked  lady. They aren't invasive so we are free to love them.

Thanks to Mark for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

After yesterday's downpour, we had a sunny, cool day today. The horizon looks clear so perhaps there will be a green flash tonight at sunset. Hope so!

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Amaryllis belladonna, fondly called Naked Ladies, are native to South Africa. But this ornamental seems to love the Mendonoma Coast, and begins blooming this time of year. One person told me they are a reminder that Autumn is coming.

Christine Haas found some blooming at The Sea Ranch. She wrote, "These Naked Ladies in the field across the street at the intersection of Leeward and Backpack were just stunning. A clump alone in the middle of the field, almost all of them gazing west towards the sunset. The color is exquisite - much more vivid than in lower Sonoma County. It’s got to be that fresh, clean air! And maybe the magnificent views! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be one of these Naked Ladies?”

These bulbs sprout leaves in the spring but they have long died back. So the tall stem with multiple pink flowers is "naked" of leaves. And they are fragrant. I love 'em!

Thanks to Christine for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

No fog today - yes, even Point Arena had sun this morning as attested by my sister, Linda Bostwick! It's sunny and very breezy, temps in the mid 70s.