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Rainlily

Cooperia

Also called Zephyrlily, Aztec Lilies, Rain Lilies, Zephyr Lilies

Rainlily
Photo: Haller1962, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cooperia is a genus of small bulbous perennials from South America and the southern United States, now merged into Zephyranthes; the plants called rain lilies bloom after rain in summer and fall. Grow them in full sun or part shade with well-drained soil that dries between waterings.

Family
Amaryllidaceae (Daffodil & onion family)
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water during active growth and bloom, let the soil dry out between waterings, and water less in dormancy.
Soil
Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, or a gritty potting mix.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 5 °C (most are frost-tender in cold climates).
How easy
Easy

About

Cooperia was a genus of tender herbaceous perennials native to South America and the southern reaches of North America. Along with the former genus Habranthus, Cooperia is now included in a more broadly circumscribed genus Zephyranthes, a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. All three genera were commonly known as rain lilies because of their propensity for blooming after rains. Species formerly placed in Cooperia bloom in summer and fall.

Although Cooperia was considered distinguishable from the better known rain lily genus, Zephyranthes, by its fragrance similar to primroses, its white or yellow pollen, its tolerance for drout and desert conditions (Howard 2001:54) and tendency to be night-blooming (Ogden 1994:11), it is now considered to be part of Zephyranthes and the genus name Cooperia is no longer accepted.

How to grow it

Hybrids have been successfully created with species then placed in separate genera Zephyranthes (× Cooperanthes) and Habranthus (× Cooperanthus) (Ogden 1994:11, Howard 2001:54). All are now within Zephyranthes.

Other Zephyranthes plants

Zephyranthes robusta · Zephyranthes subg. Habranthus · Atamasco Lily · Autumn zephyrlily · Pink Rain Lily · Citron zephyrlily · Island Zephyr Lily · Zephyranthes martinezii · Flower Of The West Wind · Cuban zephyrlily · Zephyranthes tubispatha · Zephyrlily

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cooperia (plant) by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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