Oxblood lilies burst into bloom across Texas at the end of summer, just as the school year begins.
September 10, 2024 - As September rolls in, Texas enjoys its own version of a second spring. This seasonal shift brings with it the departure of the delicate ruby-throated hummingbirds and monarch butterflies and the arrival of the resilient oxblood lilies, a true symbol of the end of summer in our gardens.
Oxblood lilies (Rhodophiala bifida), also known as schoolhouse lilies, follow a growth cycle similar to red spider lilies (Lycoris radiata), but they have the distinction of blooming about a month earlier. These stunning bulbs produce their vibrant red flowers on bare stems in early fall, send up lush foliage during the winter, and then quietly go dormant through the following summer.
The history of oxblood lilies in Texas is as rich as their deep red color. One of our early German-Texan horticulturists, Peter Heinrich Oberwetter of Comfort and later Austin, is credited with introducing oxblood lilies from Argentina and spreading them throughout Central Texas. Today, these hardy bulbs are most commonly found in the Germanic regions of Central Texas, where they thrive in abundance. In fact, a bulb expert from Argentina once remarked that there are now more oxblood lilies in Texas than in their native Argentina!
These small but mighty members of the amaryllis family thrive under specific conditions: they need winter sunshine, a prolonged dry spell in summer, and a good soaking rain in August or September to prompt their magical bloom. Whether planted in sand, silt, or clay, oxblood lilies are versatile and resilient. They can flourish in a flower bed, amid groundcovers, in a lawn, or even in a pasture. In his book Garden Bulbs for the South, my friend Scott Ogden praises the oxblood lily, noting, "No other Southern bulb can match the fierce vigor, tenacity, and adaptability of the oxblood lily." And while the blooms may only last a week or two, the bulbs themselves are incredibly long-lived, often outlasting the gardeners who plant them. They continue to produce more flowers each year without the need for division, irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizers.
If you do not have a gardening friend willing to share these treasures, fear not—the Smith County Master Gardeners have you covered. Their annual "From Bulbs to Blooms" Conference and Sale is a great opportunity to acquire heirloom, hardy, and hard-to-find bulbs. This year's sale will take place online (October 7-16), with curbside pick-up at Pollard United Methodist Church in Tyler on Saturday, October 21. The featured speaker at this year's event is Chris Wiesinger, owner of the Southern Bulb Company. He will be discussing uniquely adapted Southern bulbs and offering a special selection of his East Texas-produced bulbs for sale after his talk. For more details, visit txmg.org/smith or follow the Smith County Master Gardeners on Facebook.
Greg Grant is the Smith County horticulturist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He is the author of "Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening," "Texas Home Landscaping," "Heirloom Gardening in the South," and "The Rose Rustlers." You can read his "Greg’s Ramblings" blog at arborgate.com and his "In Greg’s Garden" column in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com). For more science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, visit aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.
