While many other plants are slowly closing for the winter, the red spider lily it’s just starting its show. After its summer dormancy, this member of the Amaryllis family forms tall stems of flowers in a bright red tone.
Each of the bulbs should produce up to four stems that will sprout from late summer to early fall, then grow more than 30 cm in about seven days. They last for about two weeks and gradually turn a lighter pinkish hue.
Be aware that the red spider lily, like other members of the Amaryllis family, contains lycorine compounds which are slightly toxic to humans. So be careful when handling it, don’t ingest it and keep it away from children.
- Common name: Red spider lily, naked lily or hurricane lily.
- botanical name: Lycoris radiata.
- Family: Amaryllidaceae.
- plant type: Herbaceous and perennial.
- mature size: 0.3-0.6 m high, 30-45 cm wide.
- sun exposure: Total partial.
- soil type: Well drained, sandy and clayey.
- soil pH: Acidic to alkaline.
- flowering time: End of summer, beginning of autumn.
- flower color: Red.
- native area: Southeast Asia.
- toxicity: Toxic to humans.
Red spider lily care
When selecting a location for red spider lilies, make sure it will be permanent because these plants do not like to be moved. Chock the bulbs so that the necks rise just above ground level, spaced from 15 to 30 cm from distance.
Furthermore, avoid fully burying the bulbs, as this can affect the ability of the plant to flower. It prefers well-drained soil and full afternoon sun. In colder regions, planting the bulbs in sheltered places to protect them from the intense cold can help.
Otherwise, the red spider lily is a carefree plant with no serious disease issues.
Sun light
Red spider lilies can grow in full sun to partial shade. For best flowering, however, partial shade is best. Also, in a partially shaded location, the plant tends to flower earlier than in full sun.
Ground
Plant your red spider lily in a soil rich in organic matter and well drained. Plant each bulb about 20cm apart, with their top neck just above the ground, which will encourage good flowering.
Water
During the summer, when the plant is dormant, the red spider lily does best in dry soil. With its deep roots, it can tap water reserves deep in the soil. Excessive watering during the summer can lead to rot of the bulb.
Once the growing season has started – as you can tell by the formation of buds – the soil should be kept moderately moist, but not oversaturated.
In the absence of rain, water the plant as necessary. In medium soil, the standard watering rule 2 cm per week it is more than enough for this plant to flourish.
temperature and humidity
To protect exposed leaves and bulbs from winter freezes, use a layer of mulch.
After its flowering, the red spider lily develops new leaves, which in warmer regions will be evergreen and will persist throughout the winter until they die in spring. The plant will lie dormant until new growth begins in the summer.
Fertilizer
In spring, add a high nitrogen fertilizerwhich will provide the plant with the necessary nutrients for growth in late summer and autumn.
After flowering, add a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorus to stimulate root growth and improve winter hardiness.
Types of Red Spider Lily
The plant has different names, each describing a special feature. The flowers appear before the green leaves unfold, hence the name «naked lily».
The name «spider lily» comes from the stamens of the flowers that resemble spider legs. In Florida, flowering coincides with hurricane seasonearning the name «hurricane flower».
This plant is often sold in pure species form, in one of two natural variations:
A Lycoris radiata var. radiata it is sterile, and therefore does not form seeds so that it can spend all its energy flowering and producing bulbs, through which it spreads quickly and vigorously. It is the most suitable for naturalization.
already the Lycoris radiata var. pumila it is a smaller and less common variety that reproduces by seed.
In addition to the natural genetic variations of the species, there are also two popular cultivars to consider:
“Fire Engine”: This variety has classic, bright red flowers.
Red Sunse: This variety offers flowers with a more reddish-pink hue.
pruning
It’s important to know when to prune the red spider lily. While they don’t really need pruning, you might be tempted to clean up their appearance.
But beware: it cannot flower when its foliage is yellowing. This is the time when the bulb is receiving nutrients to make its best flowers next year. Instead, wait until the foliage is completely withered and dry before pruning.
red spider lily spread
When the spider lilies have developed large clumps or have outgrown their space, you can carefully divide them and replant the bulbs in other locations.
do this in summer, when the plants are dormant. Depending on how many roots the bulbs have, they may not flower the same year or the next until they are fully established.
Potting and repotting the red spider lily
If the local winter is too cold for red spider lilies in a perennial flowerbed, you can grow them in pots with organically rich soil.
Pots must be very large and deep to allow for expansive root growth, as plants will not flower if the container is too small.
Plant the bulbs right side up (pointed end) so they are just sticking out of the ground, which will encourage flowering. Space the bulbs to 20 cm away in a container, as you would on the ground.
How to make a red spider lily bloom
Be patient, it can take a year or two for this plant to mature and flower, especially when propagating new plants with small offsets that are separate from the main bulb.
Healthy, mature bulbs will normally produce stem flowers which quickly sprout from the leaf clusters in August or September.
As long as the plants are getting enough sun, the most common reason the red spider lily won’t bloom is because the bulbs are planted too deeply. Try to repot them so that the necks of the bulbs barely stick out from the ground.
Furthermore, exceptionally severe winters can cause these bulbs to temporarily refuse to flower. Provided the temperatures are not too severe, the plants will normally return to a typical flowering pattern in subsequent seasons. However, extreme cold can permanently kill your bulbs.
These plants also need rich soil and twice-yearly fertilization – in the spring and just after flowering is complete – which will help ensure good flowering.
* Via The Spruce