This past Saturday Green Man shared an image of mushrooms overtaking an old stump and returning it to the soil. His contribution spurs me to share a different image with you:
Each autumn in my southern backyard, green stalks shoot up after astilbe, butterfly bush and even hostas have done their bit and died back. Just as I think the year of growth is over, these stalks burst forth into strange, bright, Seussian flower.
I have no idea what this flower is or where it came from. But its brightness in a time of increasing darkness gives me joy nonetheless.
Does the name “Audrey II” ring a bell? Who knows…? Glad you took a picture, though. A few years back a starling had died during the winter out near my garage. I was “going to do something about it” but never quite got to it, and when spring came a beautiful crocus grew right up through the center of it. It was interesting. I would have thought that church-going people would have seen a metaphore, an allegory, a parable, but all they saw was “eewww.” Go figure.
I believe your flower is Lycoris radiata
Thanks, anonymous.