Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Red Spider Lily
Lycoris radiata
The bulbs sit with the neck above the soil, and leafless scapes lift clusters of fiery scarlet in early fall.
Partial shade
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–10
12–24 in · 30–61 cm
Overview
The red spider lily shows off in fall, a bulb of the amaryllis family whose blooms are pure spectacle up close. Bare stems rise after the first cool rains, each one crowned with a cluster of scarlet, spidery flowers held high above the ground. The leaves keep a separate schedule, so by flowering the foliage has vanished and every bloom stands sharp and alone against bare soil.
Look at the leaves and you find strappy green blades, narrow and strap-shaped, that appear in fall and stay all winter before dying back by late spring, and then the bulb rests through the summer heat. When the scapes push up as summer turns to fall, each rises bare and leafless with not a single leaf on it, which is exactly where the names naked lily and surprise lily come from.
Hardy across roughly zones 6 to 10, the bulbs form firm, rounded storage organs below ground, each with a distinct neck that stays above the surface at planting. They naturalize and multiply, packing into ever-wider clumps as the offsets crowd in. The one condition they insist on is drainage, so plant in well-drained ground with the neck of the bulb showing and they carry on for years.
Care
The short version: the firm bulbs go into rich, well-drained soil in fall with the neck showing above the surface, in partial shade to full sun, watered through leaf and bloom, then left dry while the bulb rests over summer.
Light
Partial shade suits the red spider lily best, though it stands up to full sun to partial sun without trouble. Dappled light beneath high trees is a fine match, and a clump sunk in deep shade tends to push out its strappy leaves yet hold back the scarlet flowers.
Water
While the strap-shaped leaves and the flowers are active, keep the soil at medium moisture, watering roughly every 7 to 14 days as the surface dries. Once summer dormancy sets in, let the ground go fairly dry, since a bulb sitting in soggy soil browns and softens into rot.
Soil
Plant the bulbs in organically rich, well-drained loam or sand, gritty enough to shed water fast. The bulb takes any pH from 6.0 to 8.0, but it will not stand waterlogged ground, so fold in grit or compost where the soil turns heavy and slick.
Temperature
The bulb weathers a wide swing, from winter lows near -9°F (-23°C) to summer heat around 86°F (30°C). That range spans most temperate gardens inside its zones, so once the bulb is set in the ground the weather leaves it largely untouched.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air is all it asks, with no target level to hit. What happens at the roots matters far more than the air, since it is wet soil, not a dry or damp sky, that threatens the firm bulb below.
Feeding
Work in a balanced bulb fertilizer in fall and again in spring, while the green blades are drawing in light and packing the bulb for next year's flowers. A single seasonal feed across that leafy stretch covers everything it needs.
Pruning
There is barely a cut to make. Let the strappy foliage yellow and die back on its own after bloom so the bulb can refill, then lift away only the spent scapes and the withered, browning leaves.
Repotting
Spider lilies flower best sitting undisturbed, their bulbs packed close below the surface. Divide only every 3 to 5 years, or sooner once the bulbs crowd shoulder to shoulder, the flowers thin, or you see bulbs shouldering up out of the soil.
Size & spacing
12–24 in (30–61 cm) tall
When to plant
This bulb keeps an inside-out schedule. Plant in late summer to fall, watch the strap-shaped leaves run through winter and fade by spring, then look for the leafless scapes and their scarlet crowns 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 shows itself right at the bulb, which either goes soft in wet ground or sits at the wrong depth. Lift one and the evidence is plain in its color, firmness, and smell. Match what your eyes and fingers find below to the signs here, then act before the whole clump is lost.
Soft, mushy bulbs that send up nothing
The trouble is bulb rot, and it starts in soggy ground, not in any disease a spray could touch. A bulb left wet through the summer rest goes brown and soft at the core and gives off a foul smell. Lift the clump, feel each bulb, throw out every soft one, and replant only the firm, solid bulbs in well-drained soil with the neck left showing.
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
Hollowed, tunneled bulbs with feeble growth
The cause is the narcissus bulb fly, whose larva tunnels in and eats the bulb hollow from the middle. Cut one open and a single plump grub usually sits in a soft, brown-walled cavity. Destroy every infested bulb, replant only the firm ones, and turn the soil around them to bring the pupae up into the light.
Fix:
- Lift and destroy infested bulbs
- Replant only firm, healthy bulbs
- Cultivate soil around plantings to expose pupae
Lush strappy leaves but few or no flowers
When the strappy leaves come up thick but the scarlet blooms never do, the bulbs are almost always buried too deep. This lily wants the top of the neck at or above the soil line, never sunk under it. Lift and reset the bulbs shallow, thin the crowded ones, and give a freshly moved planting a season or two before the flowers return in force.
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
Handsome as the plant is, treat every inch of it as poisonous. Every part carries lycorine and related alkaloids, and the firm bulb holds the most, 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 mouths any part soon drools, vomits, and comes down with diarrhea. The firm bulb is the real hazard, since a large dose can tip into tremors or convulsions.
Dogs Mild
A dog that chews the strappy leaves, or unearths and swallows a bulb, tends to drool, vomit, and pass loose stools. The bulb packs the most alkaloid, so a big mouthful can set off tremors or seizures.
Horses Toxic
The lycorine in the leaves and bulbs strikes a horse hard, with heavy salivation, colicky belly pain, and diarrhea. Keep grazing animals well away from any planting.
Rabbits Toxic
These bulbs are no treat for a rabbit, and even a small bite of leaf or bulb can leave it drooling, off its food, and sick in the gut, so fence the plants out of reach.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep that crop the foliage or turn up bulbs may drool, scour, and grow weak as the alkaloids take hold. Keep stock off any ground where the bulbs grow.
Birds Toxic
The alkaloids reach birds as well, so a curious parrot or backyard hen pecking at any part risks vomiting and gut distress. Keep birds away from the plant and its bulbs.
People Caution
No part of this plant is food. Swallowing the leaves or, above all, the firm bulb brings 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 see only one form of the red spider lily, the familiar scarlet-flowered kind, though a second exists that parts ways with it once seed enters the picture.
Lycoris radiata var. radiata
This is the scarlet-flowered form in nearly every garden, a sterile triploid that seldom sets seed and instead swells its clump by budding off offset bulbs.
Lycoris radiata var. pumila
This is a smaller, fertile diploid that does set viable seed, which is why breeders single it out.
How to propagate
The bulbs make more of themselves without help, budding off small offset bulbs that fill a clump, and a crowded one splits into new plants. Seed suits only certain forms and asks for years of waiting.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Early summer when foliage has died back and bulbs are dormant · One to a few growing seasons before reliable bloom
The bulbs increase on their own, budding small offset bulbs around the base of each parent. In early summer, once the strappy leaves have died back and the bulbs sit dormant, lift a clump, twist the firm offsets free, and replant each with its neck showing above the soil. Expect a season or a few before the young bulbs settle and flower well.
DivisionEasy
Summer dormancy after foliage dies back · One to a few growing seasons
When a clump grows tight and crowded, lift and split it during the summer dormancy after the leaves have withered, then set the pieces back in the ground at once. Flowering often falls quiet for a season or two while the divisions root down and rebuild.
SeedDemanding
When ripe, on fertile diploid forms only · Several years to flowering
Seed rarely rewards the long wait. The common garden triploid is sterile and almost never sets viable seed, so this route works only on the fertile diploid forms, and even then it takes several years of growth before the first scarlet flower.
Myths
The red spider lily is just another name for the surprise lily.
They are two distinct species that look and behave apart. Lycoris radiata opens in bright scarlet and tolerates far less cold, while Lycoris squamigera blooms soft pink-lilac and is much hardier, so the two should never be treated as one.
The plant is safe because pets tend to leave it alone.
Being left alone is luck, not safety. Every part carries toxic lycorine alkaloids, and the firm bulb holds the most of all, so a cat or dog that does bite in can end up drooling, vomiting, and unwell with diarrhea.