I had been looking for Nemastylis geminiflora, commonly known as Celestials, among other names, since the middle of March. On March 23, 2021, I saw the first bloom or two. On the 24th, nothing blooming. Even went out later in the afternoon to see if anything had come up after the earlier jaunt, but still nothing new to show.

Note: I once contacted a seed source company to enquire if they had any seeds or bulbs for this plant. They indicated that they had a small amount sometime in the past, but they had quickly sold out. IF you have a large colony on your property, you might consider checking with a reputable native seed source to see how one might go about collecting seeds. I do not recommend trying to dig them up. They have bulbs which are buried deep in the soil which here in Central Texas is very rocky. Please refer to the Native Plant Society of Texas’s policy on the “taking” of plants.

First of all, what to look for?

Pleatleaf Lily, one of the common names of N. geminiflora, comes from the distinctive shape of its leaves.

Somewhere around midwinter the plant starts sending up a leaf or two. This inferred from the apparently chopped off tips of some of the leaves, following a presumed mowing. and probable weed-eater-ing of the berm, probably in January, which kept the berm shorn to less than 3 inches in height and scalped to bare soil in several places (but that’s a different post). Or maybe it was deer browse or rabbit nibbles.

In Central Texas, somewhere around mid-March, I am now beginning to scout out the individual plants, supposedly so I can find them later. In 2017 and 2020, I photographed plants in bloom around the 15 or 16th of the month, but most years they have appeared right about the Spring Equinox. Last year, the first plants appeared around the 15th-17th of March, then no blooms until around the 27th-29th. Then nothing, until I stumbled across a few around April 10th.This year, 2021, the first blooms did not appear until the 23rd, and these two or three seem to have been early bloomers. The majority of the plants in the area in which I am familiar were still just pleated leaves.

Eventually one will observe the stems with the pre-blossoms (for want of the correct botanical term) coming up, and from that, if one is lucky, the unfurled blossom in the early morning hours. 

Celestial before blooms open (leaves to the right, stems with unopened inflorescences on the left)

Inflorescence, still unfurled

Then, usually the day before or earlier in the morning that the inflorescence fully extends, you’ll see a purple or bluish “flag,” not yet unfurled. 

Fully open early in a day in the life of a Nemastylis geminiflora.

Either the next day or later the same day, depending upon the sort of day it is (cloudy days they seem to remain closed until after noon. Sunny days they seem to open earlier).

Later in the day, the three tall yellow stamens will have curled up and descended/curled up towards the six stigma spread out at the bottom of the flower as show below. This particular photo taken around 2:30 PM CDT, on a fairly sunny day this March 27th or 28th.

Stamens curled up as a pollinator of undetermined species is busy at work in mid afternoon.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow… the tepals have folded, and then the fruit begins to form, as seen left to right.

Although each flower blooms for a single day, a plant may have several flowers. Above, you can see what looks like a potential inflorescence to the left, either today or yesterday’s flower folded in on itself in the center, and to the right, the immature fruit which will eventual mature and provide seeds for future generations. When dry, they dehisc, popping out the small black seeds into the near vicinity.

So: That’s the life cycle of. the Nemastylis geminiflora, which usually blooms for a few short weeks from around the Vernal Equinox until the beginning of April – although sometimes it will fool you as I was last year when I chanced upon some late bloomers around the 10th of April. (I know, the Beatles’ song “Fool On The Hill” comes to mind – if not yours, in my mind, and “In My Life” at least).

Two takeaways:

1. Do not pick the flowers – this prevents them from going to seed and producing new flowers for the next year. 
2. Do not try to dig them up. Although they are called Prairie Celestials, the soil in which these are found is rocky and the bulbs are buried deep below the surface, so any attempt to dig them up will likely as not result in damaging the stem or the bulb, thus rendering such efforts useless.

 And a third:

Do get out to a local park or trail where native plants have not been discouraged by putting green level mowing practices, and take a leisurely walk (wearing a face mask, and maintaining a safe social distance). Even if you don’t see any Celestials, you just might see some other native plants and wildflowers. (In Central Texas, they were a little late in their blooming, so maybe they will extend it a little further into April. Who knows? Plants apparently don’t read field guides or any other books, so they don’t seem to follow the “rules” all the time).

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