Every year when the naked ladies arrive at the beach, it's a bittersweet reminder that the end of summer is upon us. Amaryllis belladonna is the horticultural name for this flamboyant and striking flower, but everyone calls them naked ladies.

They bloom seemingly overnight, long slender stalks with no leaves at all; hence the "naked" part of their common name. The trumpet-shaped flowers are shockingly bright pink; so the name "ladies." The sight is impossible to miss, since they bloom in great profusion here and around Santa Cruz. Lush dense groups of bright pink blossoms nodding in unision in the ocean breeze is a real eye catcher.

The flowers actually spring from underground bulbs that push leaves above ground during spring. The leaves soak in the sun and store energy back in the subterainian bulb. In late summer they put on their fabulous floor show in order to attract pollinators for the next season.

Though they are native to South Africa, naked ladies love the climate here in coastal California. They thrive on neglect and so can grow and spread without any cultivation or irrigation. And you have to admit that the sight of naked ladies at the beach is a grand one indeed.

CU Out There,

DogMan