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Coastal Spiderlily

Hymenocallis crassifolia (hy-men-oh-KAL-is krass-ih-FOH-lee-uh)

Family: Amaryllidaceae Unknown Herbaceous

Coastal Spiderlily is native to the southern coastal counties of NC and south to Florida. It is a herbaceous perennial bulb that grows in moist soil with up to 6 inches of standing water in tidal marshes, margins of tidal guts and banks of backwater rivers. The leaves are strap-like and nearly erect and fragrant spider-lily flowers are produced in spring in clusters. This plant requires consistently moist soil and should not dry out between watering. Use in water gardens, bogs or along ponds. More information on Hymenocallis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 53 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Crinum americanum Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis Pontederia cordata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Perennial; Poisonous; Water Plant
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Thick strap-like leaves are nearly erect and up to 26 inches long
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Cup
Flower detail
Umbel of 3 to 6 spider lily-like white flowers. The center is cup-like with six narrow rays and strongly scented. Blooms from May to June.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Fruit displays from June to July.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
2-angled green stem up to 20 inch tall
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
SE USA
Distribution
NC south to FL
Wildlife value
Attracts pollinators
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Pond
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Water Garden
Garden tags
#bulb #poisonous #perennial bulbs #water garden #fragrant flowers #Coastal OBL #food source herbage #food source nectar #food source pollen #food source summer #Piedmont Mountains OBL #Audubon #perennial
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Propagation
Division
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Roots
Poison symptoms
Poison Part: Bulbs Poison Delivery Mode:Ingestion Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Toxic principle
Lycorine and other phenanthridine alkaloids
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Roots

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.