Spider Lily

Botanical Name: Hymenocallis littoralis

Elegant, pristine white flowers make this Spider Lily plant a joy to grow indoors. This not-well-known member of the Amaryllis family has long, slender segments that radiate from a round center, giving the whole bloom a spider-like look.

The flowers are delightfully fragrant, with up to 8 flowers blooming on each flower stalk at a time.

These types of lilies are sometimes called Beach Spider Lily. Natives to the tropics and subtropics, they like sun, surf and sand.

This may help you to remember how to take care of these beautiful plants. Give them plenty of water throughout the growing season, add sand to the soil for fast drainage and find a spot where they'll get several hours of bright, filtered light.

Overwintering spider lilies indoors will protect this frost-tender plant. If you move your plant outdoors for the summer, bring it back indoors when the temperature drops to 55°F/13°C at night.

Repot in spring only when it gets too crowded, probably every 4 years or so. They flower best when potbound.

Origin: Central America and Southern Mexico

Height: Up to 3 ft (90 cm)

Light: Bright light

Water: Water generously throughout the growing season, keeping the soil evenly moist. Cut back in winter, watering just enough to prevent the soil from drying out completely.

Humidity: Average room humidity.

Temperature: Warm 70-85°F, 21-29°C during active growth; minimum winter temperature of 60°/16°C

Soil: 3 parts all-purpose potting mix: 1 part coarse sand

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Division of bulbs. Separate offsets from the parent bulb in spring and pot them up. Water newly potted bulbs sparingly for the first month or until you see new growth.