Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Red Spider Lily
Lycoris radiata
Plant the bulbs neck above the soil and the bare scapes throw up fiery red blooms come early fall.
Partial shade
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–10
12–24 in · 30–61 cm
Overview
The red spider lily is a fall-flowering bulb in the amaryllis family, known for the bare stems that shoot up after the first cool rains and open into clusters of scarlet, spidery flowers. The leaves come and go on their own schedule, which is part of what makes the plant so striking. By bloom time the foliage is gone, so the flowers seem to rise from bare earth.
It runs on a backwards calendar compared to most garden flowers. Strappy green leaves appear in fall and last through winter, then die back by late spring, and the bulb rests through the heat of summer. When late summer turns toward fall, the flower scapes break ground without a leaf in sight, which earns it nicknames like naked lily and surprise lily.
Hardy roughly from zones 6 to 10, the bulbs settle in and naturalize, returning year after year and slowly forming wider clumps. The one rule they insist on is drainage. Set them in well-drained ground with the neck of the bulb left above the soil, and they ask for very little after that.
Care
The short version: plant the bulbs in fall with the neck exposed in rich, well-drained soil, give partial shade to full sun, water through growth and bloom, then keep things dry while the bulb sleeps over summer.
Light
Partial shade suits the red spider lily best, though it takes full sun to partial sun without complaint. Dappled light under high trees works well, and too much deep shade is one reason a healthy clump stops flowering.
Water
Give it medium moisture while the leaves and flowers are active, watering roughly every 7 to 14 days when the soil dries. Once summer dormancy arrives, hold back and let the ground stay fairly dry, since soggy soil over the rest is what rots the bulbs.
Soil
Plant in organically rich, well-drained loam or sand. The bulb is easy about pH and handles anything from 6.0 to 8.0, but it will not forgive ground that holds water, so work in grit or compost if your soil stays heavy.
Temperature
Hardy across a wide swing, the bulbs take winter lows near -9°F (-23°C) and summer heat up to about 86°F (30°C). That range covers most temperate gardens within its zones, so once it is in the ground the weather rarely troubles it.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is plenty, so there's no level to manage. Drainage matters far more than the air here, since the real risk to this bulb is wet soil, not dry or damp weather.
Feeding
Feed a balanced bulb fertilizer in fall and again in spring, while the foliage is doing the work of building next year's flowers. A seasonal feed during leaf growth is all it needs.
Pruning
There's almost nothing to cut. Let the foliage die back on its own after bloom so the bulb can recharge, and tidy up only the spent flower scapes and any withered leaves.
Repotting
Spider lilies like to be left alone and bloom best when settled. Divide a clump only every 3 to 5 years, or sooner if bulbs crowd together, flowering tails off, or you see bulbs heaving up out of the soil.
Size & spacing
12–24 in (30–61 cm) tall
When to plant
This bulb keeps an upside-down schedule. Plant it in late summer to fall, let the leaves run through winter and fade by spring, and expect the bare flower scapes to surprise you in late summer or early fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant bulbs in late summer to fall with the bulb neck exposed above soil level
- Harvest: Late summer to early fall (August to September)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–10
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
Most spider lily trouble traces back to the bulb, either rotting in wet ground or set at the wrong depth. Read the signs below and you can usually fix the cause in one digging. Match what you see, then act before a whole clump is lost.
Soft, mushy bulbs that never push up new growth
This is bulb rot, and it almost always starts with soggy soil rather than disease you can spray away. Bulbs sitting in waterlogged ground over the summer dormancy go brown and foul-smelling from the inside. Lift them, throw out anything soft, and replant only firm bulbs in well-drained soil with the neck left exposed.
Fix:
- Lift affected bulbs and discard any that are soft or rotted
- Replant healthy firm bulbs in well-drained soil with the neck exposed
- Withhold water during the summer dormant period
Tunneled, hollowed bulbs with weak or missing growth
The culprit is the narcissus bulb fly, whose larvae bore into a bulb and eat out the center. Dig a suspect bulb and you'll often find one fat grub inside a soft, hollowed core. Destroy any infested bulbs, replant only firm ones, and turn the soil around the planting to expose the pupae.
Fix:
- Lift and destroy infested bulbs
- Replant only firm, healthy bulbs
- Cultivate soil around plantings to expose pupae
Plenty of leaves but few or no flowers
When the foliage looks healthy yet the blooms never come, the bulbs are usually set too deep. Spider lilies want the top of the neck at or above the soil line, not buried. Replant them shallow, thin any crowded clumps, and give a freshly moved planting a couple of seasons to settle before you expect a real show.
Fix:
- Replant bulbs with the top of the neck exposed above soil level
- Allow a few seasons for clumps to establish before expecting bloom
- Thin overcrowded clumps and site in full sun to partial shade
Toxicity
Treat this plant as poisonous from top to bottom. Every part holds lycorine and related alkaloids, and the bulb is the most dangerous of all, so it is not safe for cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, livestock, birds, or people. Wear gloves when you handle the bulbs and keep them well out of reach of pets and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that nibbles any part usually drools, vomits, and gets diarrhea. Eating the bulb is the real danger, and a large dose can bring on tremors or convulsions.
Dogs Mild
Expect drooling, vomiting, and loose stools after a dog chews on leaves or, worse, digs up a bulb. The bulb carries the most alkaloid, so a big mouthful can trigger tremors or seizures.
Horses Toxic
The same lycorine in the foliage and bulbs upsets a horse hard, with heavy salivation, colicky belly pain, and diarrhea. Keep grazing animals away from any planting.
Rabbits Toxic
These bulbs are no treat for a rabbit. Even a small taste of leaf or bulb can leave it drooling, off its food, and suffering gut upset, so fence the plants out of reach.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep that graze the foliage or turn up bulbs can drool, scour, and grow weak from the alkaloids. Keep stock off ground where the bulbs grow.
Birds Toxic
The alkaloids are toxic to birds too, so a curious parrot or backyard hen pecking at any part risks vomiting and gut distress. Don't let birds reach the plant or its bulbs.
People Caution
No part of this plant is food. Swallowing leaves or, above all, the bulb brings on nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so wash your hands after handling and keep curious children well clear.
Wear gloves when handling and dividing bulbs and wash hands afterward; keep bulbs out of reach of pets and children.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most gardeners meet just one form of the red spider lily, but a second exists that behaves quite differently when it comes to seed.
Lycoris radiata var. radiata
This is the form you'll usually find in gardens, a sterile triploid that rarely sets seed and instead spreads by multiplying offset bulbs.
Lycoris radiata var. pumila
A smaller, fertile diploid form that does set viable seed, which makes it the one breeders reach for.
How to propagate
Spider lilies multiply most easily by their own bulbs, and dividing a crowded clump gives you free plants. Seed is possible only on certain forms and takes patience few gardeners have.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Early summer when foliage has died back and bulbs are dormant · One to a few growing seasons before reliable bloom
The easiest way to make more is to let the bulbs do it for you. They naturalize on their own through offsets, so in early summer, once the foliage has died back and the bulbs sit dormant, lift a clump, twist off the offset bulbs, and replant each with its neck exposed. Give them a season or a few before they settle in and flower well.
DivisionEasy
Summer dormancy after foliage dies back · One to a few growing seasons
Once a clump grows crowded, lift and split it during the summer dormancy after the leaves have withered, then replant the pieces right away. Don't be surprised if bloom pauses for a season or two while the divisions find their feet again.
SeedDemanding
When ripe, on fertile diploid forms only · Several years to flowering
Seed is rarely worth the wait. The common garden triploid is sterile and almost never sets viable seed, so this route only works on the fertile diploid forms, and even then you face several years of growing before the first flower.
Myths
The red spider lily is just another name for the surprise lily.
They are two different species. Lycoris radiata throws red flowers and shrugs off far less cold, while Lycoris squamigera blooms pink-lilac and is much hardier, so don't expect one to behave like the other.
The plant is safe because pets tend to leave it alone.
Leaving it alone is luck, not safety. Every part holds toxic lycorine alkaloids, the bulb most of all, and a cat or dog that does take a bite can end up drooling, vomiting, and battling diarrhea.