Peruvian daffodils are large plants. The small, young bulbs bought in spring are misleading. After a few years mature bulbs are nearly softball sized and produce many offsets. They like to be crowded. The 3-4' long leaves of three large bulbs and their offsets completely overwhelmed Gerbera daisies and amaryllis in their shared container.
Peruvian daffodils (Ismene) differ from their close relatives spider lilies (Hymenocallis) in two obvious ways. The flowers have a cup, like true daffodils, and the leaves emerge together in a papery sheath only separating about 8" up.
They beat out Altai lily, star-of-Bethlehem, and fall crocus because they bloomed most of the summer. New scapes were sent up every week. Typically 3 flowers are bundled in the amaryllid "purse" but some had as many as six. Unfortunately, none produced viable seed, probably because we don't have the right pollinators (moths?, hummingbirds?) in Chicago.
The flowers themselves are marvels. Stamens are partially attached to the cup like ribs before curving out and coming together at the mouth. The even longer pistil is positioned several inches away from the group of anthers, suggesting a large, mobile pollinator. Makes a great cutflower with Asiatic lilies.
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