You can transplant those anytime they are dormant. I have dug them up both on purpose and accidentally many times, both summer before they bloom and fall after they are done blooming, and as far as I know, never lost a one. They are tough! About the only time they don't transplant well is when they have green leaves. You just have to be careful not to cut into the bulbs when you dig them up.

Thanks for the info, mosswitch. That was helpful.

Kate

Amaryllis belladonna the naked ladies of mild climates, will often not bloom for several years after moving. Al

I don't think she's talking about Amaryllis Belladonna, she's talking about Lycoris.

Yes--I talking about Lycoris. As soon as I read the name, I remembered that that is what they are called. But thanks for your concern, calistoga.

Kate

I thought she was talking about colchicum (currently blooming naked here in Mi)

Are these the red lycoris? are you getting them to return year after year in zone 6?

Thanks

~Chills

That's the trouble with common names. Lycoris (naked ladies, surprise lilies) are pink. Nerines (surprise lilies) are red, hardy to zone 6. Other colors of nerines (yellow, orange, white) are only hardy to zone 7. Colchicums (naked boys) are hardy to at least zone 5. The are mostly pink but there is some variety in them, including doubles. They are blooming now, as are nerines. Lycoris blooms in late July-early August.

Just so you know Amaryllidaceae is the family name and lycoris is genus. In my neck of the woods they are called surprise lilies, naked ladies and spider lilies which come in white, pink, yellow, orange and red. Had to look up nerine (not in amaryllis Family), never heard of them but would never survive in our area. While Colchicums are more crocuses that bloom in the fall. More then likely she is talking about Lycoris squamigera which the pink one. I've been experimenting with the Lycoris radiata,(red one) and it survive the coldest winter we have had in ten years. If it survives another winter then I put the other two bulbs that I have growing pots in the ground too. Plan on trying this with Lycoris aurea (yellow one) as I got them this summer. And the Lycoris albiflora (white one) arriving in two weeks.

Not only does lycoris radiata survive for me it multiplies. I just make sure it gets planted where it has good protection. This spring it got the foiliage hailed on so badly, I didn't think they would bloom this fall, but both clumps are blooming away. They can be separated after the foiliage disappears next spring.

flowergirl70ks,

How soon after you planted yours did it bloom? Mine hasn't bloomed yet but I was told it could take a couple of years.

Ah, we have a Kansas contingency here!

Chills, we have no problem here in Zone 6 Kansas growing the pink Surprise lilies (Lycoris)-- they pop out in yards all over town. Of course, I live close to the Oklahoma border, so maybe that accounts for their survival, but I've never done anything to protect them and they multiply like crazy--which is why I need to move them to a spot further away from my roses.

Moril, I don't remember now how long I had to wait for them to bloom after planting (that was quite a few years ago), but yes, it took at least a couple years.

Kate

Thanks for the information. Not crazy about the pink ones as they grow everywhere here. Wanted to try the other colors so hopefully the white and yellow will do as well as the red has. I will look forward to the red blooms next year.

Just to add more mud to the water, lycoris radiata are red "spider lilies," also "nekkid", and not very lily-like, that bloom in the fall here in the deep south. I believe the poster is referring to lycoris squamigera, which bloom in mid to late summer here. Their blooms are dead ringers for lilies, outfacing, and a nice pink with lavender undertones.

ooooohhh, I just got the best showing yet, of lycoris radiata, planted three years ago. The success has to have been attributed to 54 consecutive days of 95 degree weather then a solid week of rain and drizzle. Have had to stand in the rain to admire, but oh so worth it. The catch, now I want to move them into a bed nearer my house mixed with agapanthus, which looks pretty bad now after our summer. I have had these bloom as late as December. So do I move them in Jan??? And where do I dig? My blooms are often a foot away from my flowers. Anybody know???

Mary, the best time to move lycoris radiata is between the time the blooms fade and just before/as the foliage emerges. For my area, that's right NOW.

I have to dispel all the insecurities about moving radiata. I moved some in June and they are all blooming!! I think it's all about water deprivation, and maybe some heat, personally. I am a die hard, three time a year bone meal person, as well.

Thanks donnabaskets, Guess I will wait a few months, till blooms fade. i appreciate it. My blooms are so far form where my foliage is, I am not sure which to dig, the stems or faded foliage. When I dug before , there had been no blooms...

I have3 Naked Ladies in pots, I obviously missed a couple in the ground because the leaves are coming up, when is the best time to transplant the ones in the pots to the ground? 2 of the plants have small leaves on them and the other one has had leaves but they died and withered away, should I just go ahead and plant them the next time we have a nice day? It is March here and the temps are in the upper 50's to lower 60's and sunny, what should I do?

One home I lived in near the coast I found in the backyard and I just dug them up when they started to sprout; that is after I saw the first one bloom and I never have any problem with transplanting them nor with them blooming the next season. I did not know anything about them except them are beautiful and they seemed to love anywhere I planted them even under the trees. I understand why the call them surprise lilies, there was nothing there until the flower stem came up out of the ground. Thanks for all the posts they bring back some good memories.

I have had naked ladies in the spring, bright red Amaryllis in summer, loads of red Lycoris in late summer along with Iris and a few perinneals.

Would love to post a picture of the Red Lycoris in full bloom,from my gallery on my phone but don't know how on here. Any suggestions? Also my naked ladies did wonderfully last spring, but only about half came up this year. Any reason for that? The only thing I can think of is that I had an invasion of snails and slugs, finally got rid of them and now have little frogs, which are great and Anoli lizzards (geckos) and they eat all the bad stuff. How do I encourage the naked ladies to come back? They were multiplying then only about half came up this year??? Help!

You'll probably want to join a photo web site like photobucket (or any other that you choose). The main thing is that you should be able to provide direct links to your photos. That way, you can share them on many sites, as well as for here, you can have multiple pictures in one post.

when they slow down with the blooming I know I need to dig. They will just go on multiplying if you don't dig once in a while. They will layer on themselves and you won't believe how many layers there can be. I once dug over 36 in one hole and that wasn't nearly all of them. The way they multiply I can't believe the prices they charge.

I am in Arkansas. I have no petals, but do have little green bulb looking at base of bloom. Do I need to wait for green stalk to go before I move them? Do I plant the little green bulbs in pic?

FWIW - I have transplanted them three times -- moved them from my mother's house after she died, transplanted them into my yard where they stayed until several years later when I was moving and wanted to keep them. So my son and I dug up several patches of them, split them among the two of us, and replanted them at our houses. About half of mine came up the first year, but none of his. This year, the leaves are now popping up out of the ground at both our houses. We have done both - but I think waiting for the leaves to die back is best. BTW - thanks for the new name -- I have never heard them called Naked Ladies. What a hoot!

I know this an old thread, but bulb vendor Brent and Becky's recommends you dig them up in late Spring after the leaves start to go dormant, but before they dry out.

https://brentandbeckysbulbs.com/product/squamigera/?v=7516fd43adaa