Lycoris (Spider Lily or Resurrection Lily) for Fall Flowers

Lycoris flowering bulbs are commonly known as spider lilies, because the cluster of flowers have petal segments shaped like spider legs. The most common spider lily bulb grown is the red lycoris, Lycoris radiata, with blooms that appear suddenly in the fall after heavy rains. The red spider lily lycoris grows into large clumps of flowering bulbs and a mature clump of flowering lycoris bulbs can be spectacular—all bulbs growing from a single clone. Other lycoris to buy for planting flower in colors of orange, pink, lavender, white, and yellow-gold. The yellow lycoris, Lycoris traubii, is an excellent Japanese bulb import that grows a large yellow-gold flower, however, clumps are not formed for several years. The individual flowers of the yellow-gold Lycoris taubii are at least double the size of the red spider lily, Lycoris radiata. The white flowering lycoris bulb, Lycoris albiflora, is an excellent choice that blooms dependably every fall with white flower clusters that brighten up dark spots in a garden, and the white cut flowers, Lycoris albiflora, are valuable to florists. The resurrection lily, Lycoris squamigera, is lavender-pink in color with stems of large flowers; useful to the florist trade as cut flowers. The resurrection lily, Lycoris squamiga, grows large bulbs with flowering stems growing 1.5 feet tall.