Hymenocallis occidentalis (hy-men-oh-KAL-is ock-sih-den-TAH-liss)
Family: AmaryllidaceaeUnknownHerbaceous (1-3 ft)
Herbaceous (1-3 ft)Unknown
Native to the southeastern US, this spider lily is a herbaceous perennial that is grown from a bulb. It is the most cold hardy plant of the spider lilies. This plant.t was once found wild in NC but is now found only in the lower Mississippi Basin, growing in moist fields, swamps and bottomlands. The name is derived from the Greek words hymen (membrane) and kallos which translates to beauty. These words allude to the membrane uniting the stamens. The plant grows up to 2 feet tall and wide and prefers full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. Remove the foliage after it turns yellow tp aid in the appearance of the garden. Resembling a daffodil with long, thin filaments, these showy, fragrant flowers sit at the top of the stems. Each bulb can multiply to form a dense clump. It is sometimes used as a conservatory plant or as an interiorscape plant. It can be used in groups or the border of a water garden and along ponds. bogs or streams Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious issues; however, mealy bugs, snails and caterpillars can damage the plant. More information on Hymenocallis .
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.
Bulb; Herbaceous Perennial; Water Plant; Wildflower
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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 texture
High Organic Matter; Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water | Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The basal strap-like leaves that can be up to 2' long die back in mid-summer. They can reach a length of up to 17" long, growing directly from the bulb.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Cup; Funnel
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
The flowers each have a central cup and 6 long, slender tepals. The 6 in. flowers have a white crown of thin tissue that connects the bases of the anthers and are borne in clusters of 5 to 10 at the top of the stalks.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a leathery capsule, each containing 1 to 3 fleshy seeds.
Stem detail
The stems are erect and unbranched.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Southeastern US native
Distribution
AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX