Rain Lily

Very good morning Friends!

Welcome to Paudhayan. Nowadays, monsoon is the talk of the town everywhere. Sky is covered with dark dense clouds and downpours are the new normal in all over India. Trees and shrubs are lush green, clean and fresh. Finally temperature has cooled down, air is humid and flora and fauna are in their best mood. Getting drenched in rainshowers is a pure bliss. When little cool drops of rain touch the body, even the soul blossoms. Do you like getting drenched in rain?

You must be wondering why I started talking about the rain today. Its because the plant we are going to befriend today is very fond of rain. After the first rain shower, plenty of buds and flowers start appearing in these little plants. Then, throughout the season the more they bathe in rain, the more they bloom.

Name and Fame

The plant is known as Zephyranthes Lily. Many other common names like Fairy Lily, Magic Lily, Atamasco Lily, Zephyr Lily etc. are also given to it, but due to their profound love for rain, most people know them as Rain Lily.

These plants look like thick grass. Dark green leaves are pointed on the top and straight like grass. Their length is also about 6 to 10 inches. Small onion-like bulbs are present underneath the ground. As compared to the size of the plant, flowers are big and attractive and make a good contrast with the dark green leaves. Dozens of varieties are available in flowers of white, yellow, pink, orange and many more colors.

How to Plant

इन पौधों को क्यारियों के किनारे-किनारे बॉर्डर जैसा बनाते हुए लगाया जा सकता है। या फिर थोड़ी जगह में रेन लिली के कई सारे पौधे एक साथ लगाकर भी पौधायन को खूबसूरत बना सकते हैं। कच्ची ज़मीन न हो तो गमले में भी इन्हें आसानी से रोपा जा सकता है।

Pros and Cons

Bulbs of Rain Lily may look like cute little onions but never consume them as they may be toxic. Alkaloids are found in their leaves and roots which is a biochemically toxic compound.

The leaves and bulbs of rain lily are used as traditional medicines in many South American countries though. Since hundreds of years, they have been used to treat diseases like tumors, breast cancer, tuberculosis and rheumatism.

Well… keep aside all the pros and cons of rain lilies and grow them in your Paudhayan just for their lovely flowers.

Sun and Shade

Rain lily is a sun-loving plant. But it grows well in shade with sufficient brightness too. Ideally, you should put them in a place with for at least four hours of sunlight a day.

Water Needs

Rain Lilies are very thirsty plants. So, always keep their soil moist. They especially love rain water. Place them outside while its raining and let them drenched thoroughly. But accumulation of water near the roots of the plants must be avoided. Otherwise, fungus may develop and the plant may rot and even die.

Soil

One good thing about rain lilies is that they do not require any particular type of soil. They stay happy in clay, loam or even in sand provided they are regularly watered. Though usually, clay soil is preferred for water loving plants as it retains water for a longer time period and dries up late. Therefore, its preferable to plant rain lilies in clay or loamy soil with more clay content.

Drainage of water is must if the plant is grown in a pot or container, no matter how thirsty the plant is. If planted in the ground, waterlogging must not be allowed.

What to Feed

These simple plants do not require fertilizers etc. The minerals and nutrients found in water are enough for them.

That being said, if you want lots of healthy and vibrant foliage and flowers (who doesn't want!), you can feed them with light fertilizer during the flowering season. Any fertilizer with a balanced NPK ratio may be given in small quantities. Excess fertilizer may burn the plant. With little more phosphorus there will be plenty of flowers. With more nitrogen content plant will grow lots of healthy leaves. Potassium is necessary to keep the plant healthy and protect it from diseases.

Fertilize them only once a month at the most. When the flowering season is over, stop feeding the plant.

New Babies

New plants may be made by separating the bulbs of rain lily. Apart from this, seeds are formed after the flowers. New plants can also be grown from these seeds.

However, usually they are grown from bulbs only. Because the plant spends a lot of water and energy in making seeds and by then the blooming season is over. Therefore, break the stem on which the flower has grown. And the plant will bloom and blossom with all its energies and your Paudhayan will remain full of flowers throughout the rains.

How to Care

These plants do not require any special care. After the rains, if they do not get sufficient water, they shade their leaves one by one and remain hidden under the ground in the form of bulb only to revive, rejuvenate and bloom in the next rain. In case of extreme heat or cold, simply dug out these bulbs to store them in a cool and dry place. These bulbs may be planted again in the next season.

So with very little care, these plants will fill your garden with colours. They are as easy to plant as they are beautiful to look at. That is why almost all gardening enthusiasts will definitely have some variety of rain lilies. So just get them from a nearby nursery or a friend's house and decorate your garden with these lovely flowers for the next three-four months.

If you have any other question or suggestion regarding these, then definitely share it with us.

See you again with a new plant.

Till then take care of your Paudhyan. Bye!