I’ve been enjoying a vase of spider lilies in my living room all week long. I was delighted to discover them as I walked the dogs a few days ago.

Like many gardeners, I tend to forget about my spider lilies until they pop out of the ground and surprise me. It’s easy to forget them because in the weeks prior to their bloom, no leaves are present and the ground is bare.

Then, at some point during the fall, they spring from the earth as masses of red feathery flowers on leafless stalks.

The flowers were described by Elizabeth Lawrence as Òflame-likeÓ. The description is apt because it fits both the individual flower and also recalls the bulb’s tendency to rapidly spread and multiply Òlike wildfireÓ.

The spider lily appears perfectly at home in the southeastern United States. It is, in fact, native to Japan. It is well adapted to our climate and has naturalized so freely that it often grows uncultivated like a wild flower.

Spider lilies are actually amaryllis rather than true lilies. They were first recorded in the United States before the Civil War. Capt. William Roberts, who served under Commodore Perry at the opening of the port of Japan brought three bulbs to his niece in North Carolina. The bulbs were dry and appeared lifeless so several years passed before blooms were observed. The original bulbs multiplied and spread throughout the state and into adjoining states. These three shriveled bulbs are the parents of many of the spider lilies now growing in the southeast.

Spider lilies have a short blooming period of approximately two weeks. During this time the unique color described as bright nopal red attracts the attention of passers by. The flowers bloom on bare leafless stalks. For this reason some call spider lilies naked ladies.

After blooming, the spider lily is often forgotten. Few folks notice the foliage which appears after the blooms. Spider lily leaves follow the same growth cycle as daffodil leaves. Around Meridian, they generally come up in December. They provide a source of winter color and generally die back to underground bulbs in early May.

If you observe the soil after spider lily blooms die back you will notice a rosette of narrow strap-like leaves that have light stripes down the center. The foliage looks similar to liriope or monkey grass.

In spring after the foliage dies, spider lilies can be divided if desired. Spider lilies are very prolific, but difficult to find in the nursery trade. I have ordered their bulbs in the past from the Mississippi Market Bulletin. If you order bulbs they can be planted from late spring until July. The bulbs need a shallow planting depth of two to four inches.

Spider lilies are the most common of the fall-flowering bulbs. They are so common that most people take the flowers for granted despite their beautiful form and brilliant color.

Spider lilies should be used more in the landscape because they are low maintenance bulbs that require little care. The flowers come during the autumn flower lull when few other plants are blossoming. Their leaves provide winter color.

A landscape architect friend in Starkville has planted masses of spider lilies in conjunction with a ground cover to add winter texture and extend the blooming season. I planted my bulbs on a hill with spring-flowering daffodils, and summer-flowering montbretia, a gladiolus relative, for year-round color.

Observe the spider lily this fall. They and the naturalized orange daylilies that bloom in ditches along the roadside are truly the untended lilies of the Mississippi fields.



Gail Barton is the coordinator of the Horticulture Technology Program at Meridian Community College and is the author of a gardening book.