Are these gladiolus bulbs? The have been planted on the back side of my house every since we moved here. They always try to grow but never get any flowers, think they don't get enough sun were they were. I dug them up to try to figure out what they are. Also which Hosta might this be? Thanks for any help!

Hi -- I don't grow glads but the Hosta looks a lot like 'Frances Williams'.

Okay, Thanks Tee, Appreciate it!!

The bulbs look like Crinum or Hippeastrum, but do you have any which would survive in a very cold climate? They are not Gladiolus which have a flattened corm rather than a bulb.

The bulbs look like pink naked ladies or surprise lilies.
They are finicky and so that may be why they don't bloom sometimes. It is also very probable that they are being mowed before they can bloom. Mine come up in the spring and then they die completely down, and in August they send up a single stem and bloom. If you mow diligently, you will keep them mowed back and they won't be able to bloom.

There are many Hostas with that color pattern and Hostas look differently according to the maturity of the plant. Here is a mature Frances Williams.

I think the bulbs look a lot like (Surprise Lily) too, check out some of these photo's of the Naked Lady (Lycoris radiata)

@Paul2032 That is exactly how it looks. I got a piece of a huge from my mother-in-law.

@plantladylin I will check it out. The leaves are real flimsy and lay over. So not sure about the Red Spider Lily. The bulbs look a little more pointed on the end than the ones in the data base pics for RSL.

My other thought was possibly Zephyranthes (Rain Lily): http://garden.org/plants/searc...

Well I guess I will just re-plant them somewhere that they won't get mowed over and see if I can get them to grow a flower. Probably won't be this year since I dug them up but oh well.

Hi, Cat.
The bulbs you dug look very much like Lycoris. There are a number of species that are hardy to/in zone 5. Timing is important and they do like some sun, but getting them back in the new bed quickly may still get them to bloom this year. They may be one of these...

http://www.pacificbulbsociety....

@Moonhowl Great! I will re-plant them today. I just dug them yesterday evening. Finding a new sunny location and see what happens. Thanks for the input!!

You are most welcome. I am a fan of Lycoris

I forgot to post this link.. Sorry.

Golden Spider Lily (Lycoris aurea)