Lily?

I was going to ask if any of you knew the name of this flower, but I got my answer today:

My husband had this bulb in his former (befor we married) home, and I could not leave it, so I dug it up and brought it with us to our then new home.

They are usually only seen in the fall and usually in the oddest spots - a small plot alongside the road or strangely popping up in a pecan grove. I have always assumed they were the sign of a time gone by. A homestead that once was and the only remaining remnants, the bulbs that spring up at various times of the year. Something about them intrique me and bring much joy at the first site of them. I have never seen them in garden centers and have not noticed them in magazines or gardening sites, so I have had no name for them.

But as arrived at my client's house today, I noticed a large patch of them in her field and various spots around her yard.

And she knew what they were called: Hurricane Lily or Spider Lily. Hurricane Lily because they bloom during hurricane season.  She had heard that a family had immigrated from Japan many many years ago, bringing with them these bulbs to their knew home in South Carolina. Over the years they had spread further south.

So I googled Hurricane Lily this evening, and yes, they are native to Japan and China. They have several other names too: surprise lily, magic lily, resurrection lily, naked lady, schoolhouse lily, and Guernsey lily. They magically appear after heavy rains in August and September - guess the 3 inches of blessed, welcomed rain last week worked for more than we realized!

When I lived in a more rural area, the acreage we lived on was also home to 31 live oak trees. They were amazing! And on many of the branches wonderful green ferns covered the bark. That is until is was very dry, and they would shrivel up into ugly dry curled up dead leaves. But, just until more rain poured down on us, and within no time the frawns soaked up the water and unraveled into bright, lush green ferns again. They are know as resurrection ferns. Now I know of another plant that has such a "surprising" response to the rain.

Now I get to decide which name I prefer to call this fun flower. I have it narrowed down to: Hurricane Lily, Surprise Lily and Resurrrection Lily. What in nature stirs some joy for you? Which name should would you call this bright surprise by?

Oh, and my client offered me a few of hers  - all I have to do is a little digging...

Smiles!

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