Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to xeric plants, which do not fit under any of our established categories, or to discuss issues of a general nature that bear relevance across multiple categories.
Post Reply
User avatar
Azuleja
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 1776
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:23 am
Location: CA | Zone 9a | Chaparral

Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

#1

Post by Azuleja »

Also called hurricane lilies. These can go years in between blooming for me, probably due to extreme neglect. They're under a southern eave of the house where they get dumped on by rain run off in winter and then cooked and never watered in summer. In the second photo you can see a gopher hole, but gophers don't bother them. I believe they're poisonous. They're supposed to be deer proof too. Foliage is thin dark blue green in color, dies back each summer with blooms emerging in the fall. Very common in the Southern US, not so common in my neighborhood.

Come to think of it, it was probably the unexpected rainstorm we had a couple of weeks ago that encouraged them to put on a show.
Attachments
20171001_103805-1.jpg
20171001_103805-1.jpg (178.91 KiB) Viewed 1632 times
20171001_103732-1.jpg
20171001_103732-1.jpg (110.16 KiB) Viewed 1632 times
20171001_103716-1.jpg
20171001_103716-1.jpg (103.51 KiB) Viewed 1632 times
20171001_103631-1.jpg
20171001_103631-1.jpg (102.86 KiB) Viewed 1632 times
User avatar
Melt in the Sun
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 2062
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:41 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b

Re: Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

#2

Post by Melt in the Sun »

I have a few in the ground for several years now, with no flowers yet! Congrats on yours...
Stan
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5688
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: Hayward ca/SF bay area
USDA Zone: 10a

Re: Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

#3

Post by Stan »

Very nice. Exotic. For me it would be gopher food most likely.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
User avatar
Azuleja
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 1776
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:23 am
Location: CA | Zone 9a | Chaparral

Re: Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

#4

Post by Azuleja »

Thank you Mits, this is an established clump. I cut some and put them in a vase inside. Very elegant looking.

Stan, I doubt anyone has more gophers than we do and they leave these alone. I suspect with the large euphorbias you have there are some safe zones in your yard. Have you found that to be true?
Stan
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5688
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: Hayward ca/SF bay area
USDA Zone: 10a

Re: Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

#5

Post by Stan »

Hard to say. They can go right around the Euphorbia's and eat Cane palms to the nub 4' away. Oh,what fun - I saw a Possum in the yard. They like to eat Impatiens. All the summers growth- gone.
They and Gophers do ignore Clivia..a tip for the rest of you. Clivia might some relative of Lycoris?

With all the bad news..plants help.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
User avatar
Aeonium
Offset
Posts: 121
Joined: Sun May 15, 2022 9:02 am
Location: Metairie LA

Re: Lycoris radiata, spider lilies, surprise lilies

#6

Post by Aeonium »

I have many. Best left undisturbed. I also have many of 'aurea'. Yellow. They naturalize here. I can bring you to a population where you can dig all you want.
Clivia are French hybrid Amaryllis.
These are the very words I choose to describe my life.

A good day has no rain, and a bad day is when I lie in bed and thinking how things might have been.
Post Reply