Zephyranthes candida- Ornamental plant

Zephyranthes candida

Location: Agrotech-park, MARDI, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Photographer: Nurfatin Mohd Ridzuan

Date: April 11, 2009

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Genus: Zephyranthes
Species: Z. candida

Common name: Fairy lily, August Rain Lily.

DESCRIPTION:

This is a white cultivar of a flower usually found in pink flowering forms, Candida, grows 152 mm to 254 mm (6-10 inches) tall. It's ideal for rock gardens and for tucking into groundcovers.
Leaves are a deep glossy green and measure 3 mmwide. Flowers are erect in perianth white or sometimes pinkish abaxially. The leaf-like bract is 1.8 to 4 cm. They grow best in full sun to part shade and require a medium wet soil.
Propagation is done by dividing bulbsn or offsets and from seed.
Zephyranthes candida was first described by John Lindley in 1823 as Amaryllis candida. It was renamed under its current name in 1826 by William Herbert.

Native: Rio de la Plata region of South America

Usage: suitable for rock gardens and act as groundcovers.

My Personal View: when i was small, My mum used to plant these Zephyranthes in her front garden. i grew up knowing it as " bunga bawang ". hahahaha... sometimes i play with the stem n flowers for my 'masak2' session with some kids. i often got scolded for destroying the appearance of her garden. i wonder how beautiful those flowers are but people seem to ignore it n they go for its bulbs. Now, i met the same childhood plant which i still call it bunga bawang until today ~ngee... i look at it with different thoughts. it is not the same bawang(Allium cepa) which we used for cookin' but it is a Zephyrantes. the flowers are pure white, come with attitudes and i just love them for being just white!! go fairy lily, cherish them for life!=)