Japanese Spider Lily

These bright red flowers emerge without the modesty of foliage, allowing the flowers to shine from late summer to autumn, with the rains. These robust, impressive are summer dormant so great survivors in our climate. Japanese Spider Lilies are ideal planted in clusters for early autumn colour. The flowers are fast to bloom, taking only four or five days to fully unfurl from the emergence of the stem. There are 4-6 flowers in each umbel. For us they begin flowering at the end of February and last through March. The leaves grow up after the flower and last through winter into spring. In Kinchakuda Manjushage Park, Hidaka, Japan, there is a festival of over half a million of these bright blooms. In Japan they are known as manjushage, ‘flower of the heavens’. They are also called ‘higanbana’ for ‘equinox flower’ because they flower at the autumn equinox. Lycoris bulbs grow best in a part shade to morning sun position, sheltered from the hot afternoon rays. All they need is a well drained soil and the occasional application of fertiliser when they are in foliage, after the flowers have faded. Once planted, let them lie there year after year, allowing the clump of bulbs to become overcrowded before dividing. In other words; plant, relax and enjoy the show! They will also prosper in pots but more care needs to be taken with watering. Commonly known as the Spider Lily or Surprise Lily (because they appear as if from now where, the flower stems quick to emerge). The blooms are fantastic in vases.