Lycoris
Spider Lilies, Surprise Lilies & Hurricane Lilies - Stunning Fall Bloomers from Asia
About Lycoris
📚 Research Foundation: An excellent refereed paper was published in 1994 entitled, "SYNOPSIS OF THE GENUS LYCORIS (AMARYLLIDACEAE)," by Hsu Ping-Sheng et al. Much of the information here is extracted from that paper.
Lycoris is represented by 20 species originating from the warmer regions of China, Japan, and East Asia, some species extending into cooler regions. Some of these species began appearing through the results of trade and exploration in England and the United States as early as the 1700's. The most popular species in U.S. cultivation being Lycoris radiata, also known as the Red Spider Lily.
🌸 Common Names & Characteristics
Depending on the species, common names for Lycoris include spider lily, surprise lily, hurricane lily, or resurrection lily. It has an extremely beautiful flower coveted for fine flower arrangements.
All species are summer and fall blooming - a time when fewer choices exist in the landscape for adding color. Flower form is characterized as either funnel-form or spider lily-form.
🍃 Growth Patterns
Leaves either begin growing in the fall not to die back until spring, or they start growing in early spring not to die back until late spring/early summer. Summertime is their dormancy period after which they will suddenly shoot up a flower stalk of beautiful color, usually lasting around two weeks.
THEY ARE VERY DURABLE
Tolerating the extremes of drought and waterlogging, resistant to pests, and able to grow in other poor soil conditions with vigor.
🌺 Species Classification
The following table separates species by flower form and period of leaf development, with flower colors in parentheses:
| Winter/Spider | Winter/Funnel | Spring/Spider | Spring/Funnel |
|---|---|---|---|
|
L. aurea
(yellow); 3 varieties
|
L. ×haywardii
(reddish violet)
|
L. caldwellii
(creamy yellow)
|
L. sprengeri
(purplish rose w/ ink blue tips)
|
|
L. traubii
(rich orange-yellow)
|
L. shaanxiensis
(white w/ few pinkish stripes)
|
L. argentea
(bluish-mauve)
|
|
|
L. ×albiflora
(creamy white)
|
L. guangxiensis
(yellow w/ reddish bands)
|
L. squamigera
(light purplish pink)
|
|
|
L. ×houdyshelii
(creamy white w/greenish band underside)
|
L. chinensis
(yellow)
|
L. incarnata
(white)
|
|
|
L. straminea
(pale straw)
|
L. sanguinea
(apricot-orange); 3 varieties
|
||
|
L. elsiae
(salmon)
|
L. anhuiensis
(yellow)
|
||
|
L. radiata
(red or rose colored); 3 varieties
|
L. longituba
(white to yellow); 2 varieties
|
||
|
L. ×rosea
(rose)
|
🌡️ Winter Hardiness Guide
Although some variation exists, a good rule of thumb to follow concerning winter hardiness is that winter growers are "tender" and spring growers are "hardy".
- "Tender" species: Generally adapted to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7-10
- "Hardy" species: Generally adapted to Zones 5-9
Cultural Tips
This genus is comprised of 20 species, and all seem to share very similar cultural needs. Although some send up foliage in the fall and some in the spring, they are all late summer or fall bloomers. These originated from China and Japan, coming in different flower forms, spider or funnel (trumpet). Hybrids have been developed, but only a few species are mainly marketed by the brokers.
📅 Planting Timing
Lycoris is a winter or spring "grower" producing foliage at this time and gaining growth. Dormant bulbs can generally be planted in the months July through September, but actively growing plants the other months out of the year do just fine as transplants.
🌱 Planting Depth & Spacing
Bulbs (plants) should be planted at a depth where the "neck" is just under the soil line. If you feel you live in an environment that might be borderline for plant hardiness, you can probably get away with placing the bulb at a depth that has the "neck" about 2" below the soil line.