Seen any Naked Ladies recently?
Wait! Don't answer that question until I finish talking...
Whew! That was a close one. Okay, the Naked Ladies I'm referring to belong to the plant kingdom, not the animal kingdom. And they look like this:
Wait! Don't answer that question until I finish talking...
Whew! That was a close one. Okay, the Naked Ladies I'm referring to belong to the plant kingdom, not the animal kingdom. And they look like this:
If you've been anywhere near the upper Ozarks lately, then I bet you've seen them. They're hard to miss, actually. They pop up out of seemingly nowhere and without missing a beat, hit us with a show-stopping performance like the one above. The performance is quite quick, though. The pretty pink flowers tease us with just a peek before fading away into the backdrop, and they perch on top of long, tall stems with absolutely no leaves on them at all--their naked legs, so to speak.
Hmm. So much for keeping this post G rated.
Oh well, there's no going back now. You might as well get the full scoop...
The name "Naked Ladies" is quite fitting, I think, but these beauties also go by other alias', as scantily-clad members of the female persuasion are apt to do.
Sorry. I couldn't help myself. Okay, moving on...
These flowers are also known as Surprise Lilies (due to their sudden, unexpected appearance), or more formally, Belladonna Amaryllis (the plant family they belong to). They are old-fashioned perennial bulbs that send up cascades of long, slim, green leaves in early spring and then die back and completely disappear by early summer. Then, months later, they suddenly spring forth in the form of those tall thin stalks topped with purple-ish buds that almost immediately burst into gorgeous trumpet-like blooms that one simply can't ignore.
Yep, that's right. Naked Ladies are hard to ignore, I don't care who you are. And at this point, I'm talking about any kind of naked lady that comes to mind.
But for the record, I'm thinking about the ones in my picture. Those are the prettiest kind, I think, these centuries-old show-offs with their blatantly beautiful blooms. But here's the kicker--you can look, but don't touch. These tantalizing teasers are a tiny bit toxic!
Oh boy. Did I basically just say that I think old naked ladies are pretty, but keep your hands off them?
Brother! I never know what's gonna come out of my mouth next.
But at least it makes life interesting...as do lovely ancient flowers with funny names!
Now, quick! Go find yourself some Naked Ladies to admire before they're gone. You have my permission--as long as you keep it PG!
Hmm. So much for keeping this post G rated.
Oh well, there's no going back now. You might as well get the full scoop...
The name "Naked Ladies" is quite fitting, I think, but these beauties also go by other alias', as scantily-clad members of the female persuasion are apt to do.
Sorry. I couldn't help myself. Okay, moving on...
These flowers are also known as Surprise Lilies (due to their sudden, unexpected appearance), or more formally, Belladonna Amaryllis (the plant family they belong to). They are old-fashioned perennial bulbs that send up cascades of long, slim, green leaves in early spring and then die back and completely disappear by early summer. Then, months later, they suddenly spring forth in the form of those tall thin stalks topped with purple-ish buds that almost immediately burst into gorgeous trumpet-like blooms that one simply can't ignore.
Yep, that's right. Naked Ladies are hard to ignore, I don't care who you are. And at this point, I'm talking about any kind of naked lady that comes to mind.
But for the record, I'm thinking about the ones in my picture. Those are the prettiest kind, I think, these centuries-old show-offs with their blatantly beautiful blooms. But here's the kicker--you can look, but don't touch. These tantalizing teasers are a tiny bit toxic!
Oh boy. Did I basically just say that I think old naked ladies are pretty, but keep your hands off them?
Brother! I never know what's gonna come out of my mouth next.
But at least it makes life interesting...as do lovely ancient flowers with funny names!
Now, quick! Go find yourself some Naked Ladies to admire before they're gone. You have my permission--as long as you keep it PG!
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