Yellow Spider Lilies

Other than early spring, especially Trillium season, late September is quite possibly my favorite horticultural time of the year. It marks the merger of the last gasp of summer with the first pulse of cool-weather flowers. Seasonal transitions are exciting times!

And we are right in the middle of spider lily season. While many have long since faded, especially the pink surprise lilies (Lycoris x squamigera), there is still the large pulse of heirloom red spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) to look forward to. I'd urge you to drive around old neighborhoods in the next week or so and notice these ephemeral beauties. At my own garden near Monticello, Ga, the largest wave of blooms is just beginning!

If we travel to the deepest, most southern, parts of the southeast, we may encounter the magnificent yellow spider liliy, or Lycoris aurea. While this wasn't historically planted in my neck of the woods, probably because it isn't quite as winter hardy as the red species, in my garden, it thrives and multiplies. Because our planet is warming, a fact that can't be disputed, we should be stretching the limits of hardiness and moving southern plants northward.

To me, the most fitting common name for this yellow beauty is "Hurricane Lily". Maybe it's because it is most common on the coastal plain, or maybe because it blooms in late September just as the full force of hurricane season is upon us. Whatever the reason, I associate its intense cadmium yellow blooms with blinding rains and howling winds. It's funny how we make associations like this.

Everything about this species is supersized. It generally grows taller, to 3 ft, has larger blooms, and has larger, wider leaves, than its red cousin. The leaves push through just after flowering and lack the distinctive bluish hue indicative of the spring foliage lycoris, like longituba and squamigera. While it doesn't multiply as insanely fast as its red cousin, I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly it does multiply. I've been able to spread it around my yard and give some to my gardening friends.

While growing these may be easy, finding them may be a bit challenging. I've purchased almost all mine from online nurseries, particularly Eden's Blooms, and Plant Delights Nursery, but I did notice that Pikes in Atlanta was selling it as well. You can plant these anytime, but I prefer to divide them in the late winter just as the leaves are beginning to yellow.