Lycoris radiata, also called cockroach flower and crow garlic, what kind of plant is it?
Aliases: cockroach flower, crow garlic
Family and genus: Amaryllidaceae, Lycoris
Morphology:
Perennial herbaceous plant, underground bulb thick, broadly elliptical, covered with a purplish-red membrane. Leaves linear, emerging from the base after the flowering period, 5-6 leaves, leaves emerge in winter and wither in summer. Flower scape emerges from August to September, 30-60 cm tall, bearing 4-12 flowers, in an umbel at the top; flowers bright red, tube very short, about 5-6 mm long, segments narrow oblanceolate, curling outward. Ovary inferior, does not set seed after flowering.
Origin and distribution:
Native to China and Japan, wild in the Yangtze River basin and various provinces in the southwest, cultivated in Shanghai gardens.
Habits:
In nature it is mostly wild in shaded and damp places in mountain forests and along riverbanks, so Lycoris radiata prefers shaded and humid environments. Cold-resistant, it can overwinter outdoors in the Shanghai area. It grows well in well-drained, fertile sandy loam and calcareous loam.
Species: yellow-flowered Lycoris, purple-flowered Lycoris, etc.
Uses:
In gardens it can be used as understory groundcover flowers, planted in groups in flower borders or in naturalistic plantings among rocks. Because it has no leaves when in bloom, it is best paired with other more shade-tolerant herbaceous plants. Besides this, it can also be used for potted plants, water culture, cut flowers, etc. The bulb is poisonous, and the medicine has the effects of inducing vomiting and removing phlegm, reducing swelling and relieving pain.
Appendix: Other flowers of the same genus
1. Golden spider lily (L. aurea Herb.):
Bulb large, nearly spherical. Leaves broadly linear, powdery green. Flower scape 30-60 cm, bearing 5-10 flowers; flowers large, yellow, 9-11 cm long, tube 2.5-4 cm long. Flowering period July-August. Distributed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other provinces in China. The bulb is used as medicine and is poisonous.
2. Deer lily (L. squamigera Maxim.):
Bulb nearly spherical, leaves light green, broadly linear. Flower scape 60 cm or more tall, bearing 4-8 flowers; flowers pink, with a lavender or pale red blush, slightly fragrant, 7-8 cm long, tube 1 cm long. Flower branches filamentous, slightly extended. Flowering period September-October. Native to Japan, cultivated in Shanghai.