Eucrosia mirabilis is one of the most spectacular of all bulbs!  With the splendor of a Victorian lamp shade, this rare Amaryllis relative produces large, parasol-like clusters that sit atop very long stems.  The plant was thought to have gone extinct until it was recently rediscovered in southern Ecuador.  It is rarely seen for sale.  If you can provide the right conditions for this tropical bulb, it is easy to grow.

It forms a large bulb that usually has 2 huge, paddle-shaped leaves about the size of dinner plates, which are quite attractive.  The bulb goes dormant for a few months each year, and then the flower stalk emerges just before the new leaves appear.  The stalk grows 2 to 3 feet tall and contains up to 30 yellow flowers in a circular arrangement.  The white stamens are about 3 inches long, and the entire umbel can get 9 inches across!  You can create great new hybrids by cross-breeding it with Phaedranassa and possibly other related genera.