The Main Plant entry for Surprise Lilies (Lycoris) (Lycoris)

This database entry exists to show plant data and photos that apply generically to all Surprise Lilies (Lycoris).

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Flowers: Showy
Underground structures: Bulb
Uses: Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Toxicity: Other: All parts of Lycoris are poisonous
Propagation: Other methods: Offsets
Other: Plant the neck of bulbs just below ground surface. Plant 3-5 bulbs per sq. ft. in well-drained soil. Bulbs do not like transplanting and can take a year to settle in, so it's good to select a permanent home for them.
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger

Image
Common names
  • Surprise Lily
  • Magic Lily
  • Hurricane Lily

Photo Gallery
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2021
Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2017-07-31
Naked Lady Lily 001
Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2018-07-29
Surprise Lily - Naked Lady 014
Location: In my zone 8 garden
Date: July 14th, 2014
Photo by lovemyhouse
Location: Our yard, Hot Springs Village, AR
Date: 2014-07-19
Photo by TexasPlumeria87
Photo by lovemyhouse
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-08-14
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-08-13
Location: Home. Southwest Missouri.
Date: 2016-08-09
Location: In my zone 8 garden
Date: July 13th, 2014
Location: Our yard, Hot Springs, AR
Date: 2014-07-14
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-02-22
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-10-29
Leaf comparison of Lycoris radiata (Red spider lilies) at the bot
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2009-08-03
Comments:
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Oct 1, 2012 2:18 AM concerning plant:
    Originally native to SE Asia, Japan, China, Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and eastern Iran. Historically brought into he US through North Carolina, some species have become locally naturalized in Southeastern US where it is known as the Hurricane Lily a/o Hurricane Flower.
    The 13 to 20 species (depending on your source) of Lycoris are divided into 2 types, those w/ long stamens and those w/ short stamens.
    Hardiness varies, there are at least 6 species cold hardy to zone 5, The hardiest ones are mostly in the short stamens division. Those listed as hardy to Z5 include L. caldwellii, L. incarnata, L. sanguinea, L. sprengeri, L. squamigera, and L. chinensis.
  • Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on May 23, 2013 10:57 PM concerning plant:
    "Lycoris is a genus of 13–20 species of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are native to eastern and southern Asia in Japan, southern Korea, eastern and southern China, northern Vietnam, northern Laos, northern Thailand, northern Burma, Nepal, northern Pakistan, Afghanistan, and eastern Iran. They were imported into North Carolina and now grow wild. In English they are also called hurricane lilies or cluster amaryllis. The genus shares the English name spider lily with two other related genera.

    They are bulb-producing perennial plants. The leaves are long and slender, 30–60 cm long and only 0.5–2 cm broad. The scape is erect, 30–70 cm tall, bearing a terminal umbel of four to eight flowers, which can be white, yellow, orange, or red. The flowers divide into two types, those very long, filamentous stamens two or three times as long as the tepals (subgenus Lycoris; e.g. Lycoris radiata), and those with shorter stamens not much longer than the tepals (subgenus Symmanthus Traub & Moldenke; e.g. Lycoris sanguinea). The fruit is a three-valved capsule containing several black seeds. Many of the species are sterile, reproducing only vegetatively, and are probably of hybrid origin; several additional known hybrids occur.

    They are locally naturalised in the southeastern United States, where they are often called hurricane flowers."

    Taken from wikipedia's page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...

  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Feb 23, 2012 7:05 AM concerning plant:
    Lily-like flowers borne in clusters atop tall, strong stems. Lycoris often take a season to settle in and bloom, but once established, they are durable, long-lived, trouble-free bulbs that produce an unexpected show in late summer and early fall. Like most members of the Amaryllis family, they are resistant to rodents and deer.

    Lycoris have gorgeous flowers adorned with long, curling filaments (the source of the "spider" moniker). These bulbs prefer partial shade in hot climates and well-drained soil.

    If you grow them In Zone 6, give them a protected location and mulch heavily in fall.
Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Wrong ID by Calif_Sue Aug 4, 2017 5:21 PM 3

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