Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Amaryllis belladonna

Family

Amaryllidaceae

Flowering season

August to October

English distribution

It is found in the far west of Cornwall and the Scilly

Islands.

See the BSBI distribution map for Jersey Lily

Habitat

It is a neophyte introduced from South Africa and grown

in UK gardens and bulb fields of the Scilly Islands.

It has escaped and become naturalised on waste ground

and in sandy places.

Description

Jersey Lily is a striking, bulbous, herb growing up to 60cm.

The flowers appear before the leaves.

The flower stem is thick and robust.

The flowers are up to 10cm across and consist of 6 pink

tepals. The lower 3 tepals are fused to form a trumpet

shape.

There are 6 stamens, initially white, and then with pink

filaments and large, curved, creamy-yellow anthers.

The long style and the lobed stigma are also pink.  

The flowers appear before the leaves.

The leaves are green, flat, up to 3cm wide and 45cm long.