Nerine bowdenii Like a Virgin

The Nerine bowdenii 'Like a Virgin' is a white-flowered cultivar of Guernsey Lily or Jersey Lily, a bulbous plant native to South Africa. This one develops flowers with undulate petals of a bright pure white. They curve backwards to expose their anthers, giving them a delightfully frilly appearance. Its late flowering, in September-October, is remarkable for its beauty and light fragrance, blooming while the foliage is still absent. After flowering, the ribbon-like foliage reappears in small evergreen tufts in winter. Suited to mild climates, this species is ideal for potted cultivation in cooler regions, where it should be sheltered during winter, but thrives in a warmer more Mediterranean climate.

The Bowden's Nerine, named "Flower of the Cape" due to its origins, is said, according to legend, to have been brought to the Channel Islands during a maritime transport and stranded there after a Dutch ship carrying its bulbs sank. This herbaceous plant has a large bulb (3 to 5 cm in diameter), protected by a tunic and extended by a stem with a few fleshy roots. It multiplies vegetatively by producing bulblets on the periphery of the mother bulb. In late summer, the 'Like a Virgin' nerine produces, for 2 to 3 weeks, floral stems about 50 cm high; bearing 7 to 15 lily flowers 8 cm wide, with narrow petals, undulating at the edges, in pure white. After flowering, ribbon-like leaves appear, about 20 cm long and 1 cm wide, arranged in two opposite rows. The leaves die at the end of spring and the bulb then goes dormant until the end of summer. During this summer dormancy period, the bulb must be protected from excessive moisture. Nerine bulbs do not flower every year. It is therefore advisable to plant them in groups to ensure flowers every year.

Tip: Nerines are sensitive to polluted urban atmospheres.