Zephyranthes

More Information About Zephyranthes

We are fascinated with the wonderful group of zephyranthes (rain lilies), an amaryllid. Zephyranthes are unobtrusive, summer-flowering bulbs that can fit in any garden, with a flower color range from yellow to white to pink. The great thing about zephyranthes is the lack of large foliage that often accompanies many other spring-flowering bulbs.

There are zephyranthes that grow in conditions from bogs to deserts, with most having an incredible tolerance to heat. We are thrilled that our butterflies find these a wonderful summer nectar source. Our zephyranthes (rain lily) collection is one of the best in the world, with many of the hard-to-find Mexican species, many older US natives and hybrids, and the groundbreaking rain lily breeding work from Fadjar Marta of Indonesia.

Zephyranthes has the common name rain lily for a good reason...it has the charming habit of sending up new blooms after a summer rain (it would make an excellent rain garden plant). Zephyranthes (rain lilies) are small perennial bulbs that need to be sited in the front of the border, or in a rock garden to be appreciated. When happy, some zephyranthes may produce seed but the offspring are not likely to look exactly like the parent. Consequently, if you have a strict color palette in the garden, you may want to remove the zephyranthes seed heads before they pop open. Try pairing rain lilies with other small sun-loving perennials like Sisyrinchium, Moraea, Puya, Graptopetalum, Sempervivum and Lycoris. If you are ready to buy rain lilies for your garden, check our our list of zephyranthes for sale.

Need additional ideas on how to utilize rain lilies in your garden? Check out the striking pictures of rain lily blooms in our photo gallery at JLBG.org