Zephyranthes citrinaYellow Rain Lily

Zephyranthes citrina does exactly what its common name suggests. Within a few days of heavy rain or irrigation a planted mass throws up bright yellow crocus-like flowers on short stems, all at once, and then goes quiet again until the next soaking.

Between flushes it is a neat clump of narrow glossy dark green leaves, which makes it useful as bed edging and as a low mass under shrubs.

Specifications

• Height0.15 to 0.25 metres
• Width0.1 to 0.2 metres, clumping steadily
• Native toCentral America, and widely naturalised through the tropics
• FoliageNarrow, glossy, dark green grass-like leaves; semi-evergreen, dying back in prolonged drought
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers free-draining sandy or loamy soils and tolerates poor ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant when dormant, with flowering triggered by soaking
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FlowersBright yellow crocus-like flowers in flushes a few days after heavy rain or irrigation, mainly in summer and autumn
• UsesBed and path edging, low mass under shrubs, median strips, rockeries and containers
• SpacingPlant 20 to 30 bulbs per square metre for a closed clump
• Low MaintenanceLift and divide congested clumps every three to four years; no other work is needed
• Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free
• Drought ToleranceBulbs survive extended dry periods and reshoot as soon as water returns
• Seasonal AppealRepeated flowering flushes through the warm season, each one triggered by rain

The Yellow Rain Lily is a small, cheap, dependable bulb that turns an irrigation cycle into a flowering event.