Sunshine, on a cloudy day...

It either rains too little or too much - never, or so it seems, just enough. At the moment canary-yellow mushrooms are sprouting out of my bromeliad pots, but I know in a month or so the afternoon thunderstorms will cease. Florida's dry season will begin, and long periods of sunny, cloudless skies will be punctuated by overcast, windy cold fronts that bring either extended deluges, or just a sprinkle of rain.

Although the summer thunderstorms mean mosquitoes and often unbearable humidity, they also signal a charming group of plants into bloom - the Zephyranthes, or Rain Lilies.

Florida has one native species, the white Zephyranthes atamasco. It is common in seasonally wet areas, and has found a happy home along highway medians. Mexico, as well as Central and South America, are home to many species of these diminutive little bulbs (well adapted to wet and dry extremes). They come in a wide range of colors, including deep bubble-gum pinks, pale apricot, and deep yellows.

Zephyranthes sp. 'Labuffarosa' (pictured) is native to eastern Mexico, and may be a naturally occurring hybrid. It is one of the few Rain Lilies that grow well in light shade. It can be highly variable. My bulbs produce white flowers washed with an almost crystalline pink. Like most Rain Lilies the flowers emerge within a day or two of rain, and are nearly invisible among the grass-like foliage. The flowers seem to appear out of nowhere, which only adds to their charm.