Companion Plants for Lycoris squamigera

J.E. Shields jshields@indy.net
Mon, 22 Aug 2005 08:13:45 PDT
Hi all,

To me the logical companion plant to Lycoris squamigera is Hosta 
plantaginea.  They both bloom at about the same time, and the Hosta foliage 
covers the bare stalks of the sqaumi scapes.  The Lycoris foliage is up 
before the Hostas'.   Besides, both do well in partial shade; and the white 
flowers of the Hosta look good with the pink of the Lycoris.  I think you 
could interplant Narcissus among a mixed bed of Lycoris and Hosta for early 
spring color.

Others that come to mind:  Ferns are starting to look ratty now, as are 
many daylilies.  The Lilium are mostly gone by now, at least the few common 
varieties I have here are gone.  The hardy Hymenocallis occidentalis always 
seemed to me to be a candidate for the August garden, but mine bloom 
erratically and not every year.  Besides, they are very hard to find.  Tony 
Avent has them most years, but I did not notice them in Tony's latest 
catalog.  This Hymenocallis wants partial shade, but in dry areas it will 
lose all its foliage by this time in summer.  Mine get watered, so they 
mostly keep their leaves through the summer.

Crinum variabile is pretty hardy here, but it needs full sun and blooms a 
couple weeks earlier than the Lycoris.  My plants of Crinum variabile 
usually rebloom once or twice, perhaps because they get plenty of 
water.  Crinum foliage can got to looking a bit ratty by late summer, too.

Around here, the most common companion plants in my garden in August are 
actually the weeds!  The heat and bugs have been making the Great Outdoors 
less attractive lately.

Regards,
Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)



*************************************************
Jim Shields             USDA Zone 5             Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92              WWW:    http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344     or      toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA



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