It is Valentine’s Day whenever you have Oxblood Lilies blooming in your garden. We have planted them in our front yard by the steps to our front door and in the backyard. They bloom in the fall, generally around September and October. The vivid red colors are striking.

Oxblood Lilies are also known as School House Lily. They look like amaryllis, but the two are not related. Another thing about them is that despite their name, Oxblood Lilies are not actually lilies. They belong to the genus Rhodophiala. From online searches, I discovered that these flowers are native to South America (Argentina and Uruguay). The vermillion color is striking. The flowers are robust. I remember when I was given some bulbs to plant, I was told not to worry. Just plant them and wait. Now, several years after the first planting, every fall, more Oxblood Lilies re-appear. They seem to spread quickly and are very resistant to cold temperatures. The blooms, however, do not last very long. I have seen them stay open only 2-4 days maximum in our garden. The Gardening Know How website briefly explains the flower’s history. It was…

… introduced by Peter Henry Oberwetter, who stumbled across some oxblood lily bulbs around the 1800’s. As a collector, he became fascinated with the plants and allowed the bulbs to replicate. Today, the lily is mostly confined to certain areas of Texas where Oberwetter had his nursery beds.

Since they are not really native to Central Texas and are not available in nurseries, one generally gets them from friends who share their bulbs. That is how I obtained ours.

I love it when they start blooming in the fall. I enjoy seeing their vivid colors and also love getting macro shots such as the ones above. The details I discover never cease to please my eyes. Look at the two photos above and see how delicate the stem details are. Below I have other views of the entire plant and more macros. Just click on each thumbnail to view the full images and macro details.

These are relatively low-maintenance plants. I don’t need to take any special care of them. They get watered once a week.

The symbolism of Oxblood Lilies varies among cultures. Because of their intense red color, they are often associated with passion and desire. Since they bloom each fall, some cultures link them to resurrection and rebirth. Also, because they thrive in less-than-ideal conditions, they can symbolize strength and resilience.

This post is being submitted to the FOTD Challenge.