Red spider lily
Lycoris radiata · Amaryllidaceae
Bare stems shoot up after the first rains of September and open clusters of coral-red flowers with long, curling stamens like spider's legs. The leaves follow, and last through winter.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 8 in wide
- Zones
- 6 to 10
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Mid September to early October
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Bulb layer
A bed built around red spider lily
The planner designed this bed around red spider lily when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why red spider lily stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 3, pink
- 2 Leadwort × 15, blue
- 3 Foxglove beardtongue × 3, white
- 4 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 4, purple
- 5 Globe arborvitae 'Danica' × 1, green leaves
- 6 Caucasian scabious 'Fama' × 3, blue
- 7 Red spider lily × 5, red
- 8 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
Why this plant
- The only flat plates. The others are open bowls, dense clusters, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- A classic partner for leadwort. Both are on this plan. A pairing gardeners have proved outranks a general rule.
- The only red. The one hot colour: every other flower here is cool or neutral.
Why here
- Near the front. At 18 in it is the step between leadwort (10 in) in front and caucasian scabious 'Fama' (24 in) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 5 plants in one handful. In the gaps between other plants, which fill the space when the bulb is not in growth.
- Beside leadwort. A recognised partner: the planner puts such plants together where it can.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From mid September to early October.
- In company. With leadwort and Tatarian aster 'Jindai' in early October: 3 kinds at once.
- Leaves gone by midsummer. They die back and leave bare ground. A perennial that comes up late stands beside it, and grows over the gap.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. It is planted in layers: about 12 in at the front, 2 ft in the middle and 3½ ft at the back. For contrast, the bold leaves of Tatarian aster 'Jindai' sit beside the fine leaves of globe arborvitae 'Danica'.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where red spider lily goes in a border
At 18 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: bulb layer. Small bulbs planted in handfuls of five or seven in the gaps between other plants, for colour before the perennials wake up.
The flowers appear overnight where there was nothing, which is why they are also called hurricane lilies. Plant them through low groundcover such as lilyturf, and never move them.
- A surprise in the autumn garden
- Naturalising in southern gardens
- Under deciduous trees
What to plant with red spider lily
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lilyturf.
- Mondo grass: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; low enough (8 in) to stand in front of it.
- Leadwort: in flower together for four weeks, from mid September; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves; low enough (10 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about red spider lily
Does red spider lily need sun or shade?
Red spider lily grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled.
What zones does red spider lily grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 10. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does red spider lily flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid September to early October. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.
| Zone 6 | Mid September to early October |
|---|---|
| Zone 7 | Mid September to early October |
| Zone 8 | Mid September to early October |
| Zone 9 | Mid September to early October |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should red spider lily be planted?
6 in (15 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 8 in (20 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many red spider lily plants do I need?
At 6 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 48 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 21 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 153 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.
In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.
Is red spider lily poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs and cats. The bulbs cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Do deer eat red spider lily?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What can I plant to hide red spider lily's leaves after it flowers?
A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:
- Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower late May to early July.
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.
- Garden chrysanthemum: 24 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower mid September to late October.
What does red spider lily look like in winter?
Red spider lily is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.
Is red spider lily good for bees and butterflies?
Red spider lily is visited by butterflies and hummingbirds.
More Lycoris
- Surprise lily Lycoris squamigera
In these guides
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Plants for hummingbirds
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants that flower in fall
Every fact on record
- Type
- Bulb
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 8 in (20 cm) wide
- Plant
- 6 in (15 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid September to early October; flat plates; red
- Leaves
- Medium texture, summer-dormant; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 10
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Comes from
- China, Japan, Korea, and Nepal
- Attracts
- Butterflies, hummingbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.