Not much grown here in northern California, and comments here about need for summer baking and left dry all summer contradict American growers recommendations. As they are native to continental to subtropical climates in China and Japan, which generally get abundant summer rainfall, the complete dry baking seems contradictory. Jim Waddell has written up a treatise on culture and habitat that explains growing culture here in the USA, where they are garden favorites in distinctly non-Medit regions such as the southern USA into the Midwest zone 7 for spring foliage species. He advises that it prefers some moisture all summer with a short dry period before bloom, and baking heat isn't necessary for bloom. I've tried a few Lycoris species, but do much better with the South African Nerine bowdenii and sarniensis. Seen commonly along the Gulf Coast, Texas and Florida, more so than California.
