Welcoming the Chilly Lilies!

Wonderful red flowers, sometimes called chilly lilies, are sprouting up all over Central Texas.  Around here, they’re generally a good sign that cooler weather is coming (thankfully!).  Officially, they’re known as Oxblood Lilies, but also schoolhouse lilies.   Whatever you call them, these flowers bring out the smiles for those who see them.    These crimson beauties have their origins in Argentina, but gained popularity in our area when German settlers began planting the bulbs in large numbers.   The examples posted here are from the yard of my Taylor neighbor, Alfredo Delgado.   “They just pop up every year!” he explains with a grin as he allows me to traverse his yard for about an hour in search of the best light and angles.