Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Bulb Spider Lily This hardy bulb produces colorful flowers that bloom from midsummer to fall. By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 25, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Colorful Combinations Depending on where you live, you may be more familiar with a regional type of spider lily. For example, gardeners in northern areas tend to recognize Lycoris squamigera, which is one of the hardiest species with flowers in shades of light pink. Gardeners in southern climates are likely to be more familiar with Lycoris radiata. This species puts out foliage in the fall and holds its color through the winter. There are many other species and hybrids. All the varieties produce a mix of colorful blossoms including peach, yellow, orange, coral, and pink with blue tips. 8 Fall-Blooming Native Plants We Love Spider Lily Care Must-Knows These easy-to-grow perennial bulbs are often planted and then forgotten. They grow best in well-drained soil with moderate moisture during the growing season. Although it's not necessary, some spider lilies appreciate a dry spell in their dormant summer period. When planting spider lily bulbs, the neck of the bulb should be planted just below the surface of the soil. These plants can be left alone for many years and will create impressively large collections of flowers. Spider lilies can easily be grown in full sun to part shade, though they'll do best where they get some shade. This plant is toxic if eaten, making it deer and pest resistant. However, that makes it important to keep pets and small children away. Your Ultimate Guide to Caring for Bulbs The best time to divide or transplant a spider lily is just after it goes dormant in early summer. Once the foliage has completely died back, dig up the bulbs. Division is not necessary because these plants will easily form multiple clumps on their own. You can often see large established colonies growing in places such as cemeteries or churchyards. New Innovations While not exceptionally common, there are some spectacular varieties and hybrids available. Many of these hybrids are fairly hard to find, as they are bred by small, independent breeders and not available at mainstream locations. This makes finding one of these hybrids even more fulfilling. Some of these plants feature stunning color combinations such as pink with blue tips, which is not found in the straight species. More Varieties of Spider Lily Spider Lily Overview Description As the name suggests, the spider lily has long, spiderlike petals on its flowers that appear from midsummer to fall. This hardy bulb has a curious habit of blooming on bare stems with no foliage present, which has earned it the common names "naked lady" and "surprise lily." It is also dubbed the hurricane lily, as it tends to bloom during hurricane season in the U.S. The flower is a close relative to the amaryllis and much like its kin, has a striking flower. This plant generally puts out its foliage in spring after the coldest weather has passed. Genus Name Lycoris Common Name Spider Lily Plant Type Bulb Light Part Sun, Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width null to 1 foot Flower Color Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow Foliage Color Blue/Green Season Features Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers Zones 10, 11, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Division, Seed Naked ladies Marty Baldwin Lycoris squamigera produces its strappy leaves in spring. By summer the leaves disappear and you see no sign of the plant until fall, when the lilac-pink flowers appear out of nowhere. These magical flowers grow 18 inches tall. Zones 5-10 Red spider lily Dan Piassick Lycoris radiata bears loose clusters of bright red, spidery blooms in early fall. It grows 18 inches tall. Zones 7-10 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit