Zephyranthes atamasca Atamasco Lily PFAF Plant Database

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Zephyranthes atamasca - (L.)Herb.

Common Name

Atamasco Lily

Family

Amaryllidaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

The bulb contains toxic compounds[62]. Horses are said to get the staggers (a cerebrospinal disease) from eating the leaves and bulbs[207].

Habitats

Rich, mixed forests, moist clearings, meadows, moist to wet pastures, coastal plains and piedmonts from sea level to 700 metres[270].

Range

Southern N. America - Missouri and Virginia to Florida.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Zephyranthes atamasca is a BULB growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in).
It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from Apr to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.


USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 532

Erica Asai @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Habitats
Cultivated Beds; East Wall. By. South Wall. By.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Root. Edible Uses: Bulb - cooked[2, 22, 46, 61]. It is used as an emergency food when better foods are in short supply[61, 161]. The bulb is up to 3cm long[235]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. None known

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details

Requires a position in full sun when grown outdoors in Britain and a well-drained moisture retentive soil[1, 42, 200]. It strongly dislikes excessive wet, especially in the winter[200]. Plants require a definite dry resting period in late summer, if they receive water at this time they are excited into growth and can then be killed in cold weather[120]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is hardy to about -5°c and can succeed outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[200]. However, because it is in growth during the winter, it is generally best grown in a cold greenhouse or special bulb frame[K]. Bulbs should be planted about 10cm deep[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first year of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in the summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer. Division of offsets after the plant dies down in late spring or early summer. Larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions whilst it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in the greenhouse for a year before planting them out.

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Expert comment

Author
(L.)Herb.

Botanical References
43200270

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.

Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[22]Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.

Not very comprehensive, it seems more or less like a copy of earlier writings with little added.

[42]Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs.

Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.

An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[120]? The Plantsman. Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981.

Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Billardiera spp, Calochortus spp, Drimys spp.

[161]Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.

A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[235]Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada

Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[270] Flora of N. America

An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.

Readers comment

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