Red spider lily

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowers best with several hours of direct sun. Light shade from deciduous trees suits its winter-growing leaves.

Water

Water moderately while leaves are growing, allowing the surface soil to dry between waterings. Reduce watering during summer dormancy; avoid persistently wet soil in any season.

Soil

Well-drained, moderately fertile soil; sandy loam is ideal. Improve drainage in heavy clay or use a raised bed.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m) per clump, expanding slowly through offsets

Flowers

Late summer to early autumn; scarlet-red flowers with narrow, curled petals and long projecting stamens, fading paler with age.

Foliage

Narrow, strap-shaped green leaves with a pale central stripe; present from autumn through spring and absent during summer dormancy.

Growth

Slow to moderate; newly planted bulbs may take a year or two to settle and flower.

Care needed

Low

• Plant bulbs with their necks just below the soil surface in a sheltered, well-drained position.
• Water during dry spells while leaves are green, but reduce irrigation after they die back.
• Apply a light dressing of compost in autumn; avoid heavy, nitrogen-rich feeding.
• In colder parts of its range, mulch over the bulbs for winter and remove excess mulch in spring.
• Leave established clumps undisturbed; divide only when crowded or when you need more plants.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems near ground level. Leave all green foliage intact and remove it only after it has yellowed and withered naturally in spring.

Spring

Keep leaves intact and water if conditions are dry while they remain green.

Late spring

Remove fully withered foliage and mark the planting area so dormant bulbs are not damaged.

Early summer

Divide crowded clumps after foliage dies back, replanting promptly; expect a possible pause in flowering.

Summer

Reduce watering during dormancy and avoid digging through the bulb bed.

Late summer to early autumn

Watch for emerging flower stems and resume moderate watering as growth returns.

Autumn

Top-dress lightly with compost and keep fallen leaves from smothering the new foliage.

Winter

Protect the planting with mulch in colder areas and check that water drains freely.

• Plant repeated clumps beneath deciduous trees for red autumn flowers followed by winter foliage.
• Thread through a mixed border among summer perennials that conceal the dormant planting area.
• Use beside a path or courtyard edge where the intricate flowers can be seen closely.
• Combine with ornamental grasses and autumn-flowering perennials for contrasting flower shapes and textures.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Woodland, Cottage garden, Southern, Autumn colour and Traditional.

Plant it with: Hostas, Japanese painted ferns, Liriope, Autumn sage, Hardy chrysanthemums and Switchgrass.

Wildlife: Flowers can attract butterflies and other nectar-feeding insects. Deer and rabbits usually leave the plant alone, though no plant is completely browse-proof.

• Few or no flowers: recent transplanting, deep planting or heavy shade may be responsible. Check planting depth and light, then allow bulbs several undisturbed growing seasons.
• Bulb rot: prevent standing water and persistently wet soil; lift and discard soft, rotting bulbs and improve drainage.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging leaves with hand-picking, habitat reduction or an appropriate labelled bait.
• Winter leaf damage: cold winds and hard freezes can scorch foliage, especially near the colder end of its range. Choose a sheltered site and mulch the bulb area.

Toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. All parts contain poisonous alkaloids, with the highest concentrations in the bulbs. Ingestion can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; larger amounts can cause serious poisoning. Keep bulbs away from children and animals, and seek medical or veterinary advice promptly after ingestion.

• Guernsey lily (Nerine bowdenii)

  Usually has pink flowers with broader, strongly wavy petals. Its leaves grow mainly in spring and summer rather than through winter.

• Resurrection lily (Lycoris squamigera)

  Has larger, pale pink, trumpet-shaped flowers and broader leaves that emerge in spring rather than autumn.

• Golden spider lily (Lycoris aurea)

  Produces golden-yellow rather than red flowers and generally has broader leaves; it also needs a warmer climate.

The common name refers to the flower's long, spider-leg-like stamens, while the botanical epithet radiata means radiating.

Propagation. Separate offsets after the leaves have died back in late spring or early summer and replant promptly. Many commonly grown plants are sterile triploids and do not produce viable seed; fertile forms exist, but seedlings take several years to flower.

Accepted botanical name

Lycoris radiata

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan, Korea and Nepal.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.