Spider Lily (Hurricane Lily) – Identification

Q: Can you identify these flowers? They are growing in my son’s yard out of his liriope.

A: It’s spider lily, Lycoris radiata, sometimes called hurricane lily because the blooms appear during hurricane season. It’s always a surprise to see these distinctive flowers because no leaves are present when the blooms appear. They spring unexpectedly from the earth.

Indeed, leaves were present from late fall to early summer last year but your son didn’t notice them amongst the liriope.

If you like the effect, buy and plant more bulbs. If several are appearing from the same spot, the clump can be dug and divided when the blooms fade.

spider lily – Lycoris radiata

spider lily – Lycoris radiata