Maybe three weeks ago, this Hymenocallis ‘Tropical Giant’ was lying in our shed. There he sat alone, forgotten, abandoned for six months or more. Why?
While harvesting this bulb, the gardener had unfortunately speared him with his or her shovel creating a giant gash in its side. Unless you are extremely careful when harvesting, this does happen sometimes. I could not sell him in that condition to anyone, so there he sat for months.
Finally tired of tripping over and transferring this tropical giant (about the size of a softball or larger) around in the barn, I tossed it at Chris to plant.
Fast forward a couple of weeks. To my complete and utter surprise, it shot up foliage and began blooming. There I stood flabbergasted that this bulb had remarkably survived out of the ground for months on end and then had the gumption to send up a bloom.
Tropical giant has always been one of my very favorites. Being a structured, organized type person, I am a big fan of its long, strong, crisp, dark green foliage, and this recent behavior has solidified my affection for this bulb. The white, spidery blooms are striking, too. I’m going to do my best to protect him from any harsh weather this winter and hope for a repeat bloom late next summer.