Golden Spider Lily is a bulbous perennial in the onion family that produces showy orange-yellow blooms on tall stems in August and September that seem to appear out of nowhere. The basal narrow leaves grow after blooming and last through spring when they die down and the bulb enters a resting period. In areas with wet summers or areas north of its hardiness zone, it is best to grow in pots. Plant these bulbs to a depth of 8 inches in groups of 3 to 5 with the top 1/4 inch of neck exposed above the soil. They prefer full to partial sun in well-drained fertile soils. However, the plant does flower best in partial sun. Be sure to choose a permanent spot for them as they dislike being transplanted. Mulch well in the northern ranges in winter. Propagate by division or seed. It can take five years from seed to blooming though so division is best. Plants will naturalize by bulb-offsets and form small colonies over time. If grown in a pot, choose a container that is large and deep to allow the bulbs to establish deep and extensive root systems. If containers are too small, plants may fail to flower. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. More information on Lycoris .
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.
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
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf feel
Fleshy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Basal, narrowly strap-like, fleshy leaves appear after the blooms and last until spring.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Funnel; Tubular
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
Large spidery upward-facing funnel-shaped blooms with wavy margins in groups of 5 to 6 appear in August- September. The blooms are yellow-orange and have 6 recurved and wavy petals with long curved stamens. They can be up to 6 inches in size.
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
They may or may not set seed as not all are fertile.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Tall round green stem without leaves.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central and Southern China, Japan
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
Lycorine has also been used in Asian folk medicine as a diuretic and expectorant.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden; Winter Garden