September's Surprises....

Spider Lilies

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

I don't know if you're like me, but along about the last of September, each year, when you wake up one morning and find that overnight a barren place on your lawn has erupted into a mass of brilliant red color, it's a sign that Autumn has arrived. Well, if you've been looking lately, you're sure to have found the arrival of the spider lilies. These brilliant blooms are said to arrive somewhere around a week to 10 days following the first good rain of the autumn season, and local weather watchers can vow to the fact that they arrived on time, this year. It was about 10 days ago that the Fall Festival was being "rained-out!"

 

 

 

Spider lilies, lycoris radiata, can be planted year round, and are transplanted via bulbs. They grow in a soil depth of 2 to 3 inches, and can be found all across the Hopkins County region. They multiply rapidly and are easily grown, many times coming up "volunteer" in your landscape, but nonetheless, bringing a radiant amount of color.

Their origin is traced back to 1854, when Commodore William Perry made a ship voyage to Japan, aboard the U.S. Navy's first steam powered ship. Among his fellow seamen, was Captain William Roberts, who had a keen eye for horticultural treasures. He obtained some of the bulbs for the red spider lily and brought them back to the U.S. He planted them in his garden in North Carolina, and their bulbs have traversed the entire region of the Southern U.S. from these meager beginnings.

 

 

The beautiful blooms are hoisted into the air via an 18 inch stem and signal cooler temperatures and wet conditions in the landscape. Enjoy the beauty of the local red spider lilies!!!

 

 

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