I met this flower the year when I was a bride to be. My mother-in-law had bought this bulbous plant from Lalbagh and it decorated our front yard.
This lily blooms exclusively in May, hence the name May flower. It is also the monsoon season in India, and also called, monsoon flower. It looks like a football, hence football Lily. It is red and therefore called as blood Lily. It has a toxic alkaloid and called the poison Lily.
With so many names, the the ball Lily stays bloomed for three to four days. The flowers are produced at the top of a stem. The ball contains nearly a hundred flowers. Once the flower wilts, the plant remains until the next season arrives. Sometimes the plant wilts and a new plant appears during the blooming season and then the flower appears. Since it is bulbous, it can propagated by removing the bulbs and distributing them in different pots.
Soil requirement: Well drained soil
Water requirement: Once a week during off season. From spring to blooming season, whenever the soil has lost moisture. Sun requirement: Shade. Low maintenance plant.
