The bright orange — spotted with red — flowers of Blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis) catch the eye on a summer day. This native of central Asia, India, China and Japan has naturalized in the eastern and central regions of the United States.
The small flower, about one and a half inches across, blooms for one day.
The flower closes up, its tepals twist into a spiral shape, and the ovary becomes the seed capsule.
Here’s a group of Blackberry lily plants. This group continues flowering even as it develops seeds in the capsules.
When mature, the seed capsule opens to reveal the shiny black seeds.
Most of these seeds remain on the plant throughout the fall and winter. When spring arrives. the seeds drop to the ground.
To learn more about Blackberry lily during various seasons of the year, to see close-up views of its reproductive parts, and to learn about its two methods of reproduction, watch this video:
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