White Spider Lily (Lycoris albiflora)

Lycoris albiflora

The white spider lilies (Lycoris albiflora) are often seen blooming at the same time and in the same regions as the red spider lily (Lycoris radiata). In fact, they look very similar to the red spider lily, except that they are white!  I first collected mine from a garden in Natchez, Mississippi where they seem to thrive. This garden belonged to one of the founding members of the Southern Garden History Society, but I am not sure where they originally obtained their bulbs.  Flowers will shoot up on naked stalks in the fall, and the foliage will appear in the winter. Let the foliage die down naturally in the spring, leaving all the way until the middle of May if possible. Full winter sun! Sun or shade in the summer does not affect the bulbs, but they do like to stay somewhat moist. Dry bulbs are liable to skip their first years bloom.