User:Bgable

Red Spider Lily

Basic Information
The Red Spider Lily has many aliases they are Spider Lily, Naked Lily, and Red Spider Lily. The scientific name of a Red Spider Lily is Lycoris radiata. It can not reproduce sexually. The plant has both sexes and when they produce they just randomly assort their chromosomes so that there is no order to the assignment to each plant. Since there is no order in the chromosomes assortment that means the plant is sterile. The only way for the plant to reproduce is by the bulbs dividing. When planting the Red Spider Lily you must plant the bulbs. They should be placed eight inches deep into the soil. There should be six to twelve inches between each bulb. They should be planted in the spring, but if you want to store the bulbs until the next spring store them in a dry environment that is between 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit. The Red Spider Lily should be planted in a full sun environment. It will bloom in late summer and be around 24-28 inches tall. The leaves remain green all winter long and at the first hint of warm weather the following spring they will die.

Habitat
The Red Spider Lily does not like heat. It prefers a warm environment. When the summer heat becomes unbearable for the Spider lily it becomes dormant. It will then return when the weather has become cooler. It grows mostly in the south. They are originally from China. Red Spider Lily can also be found in Japan.

Uses of Red Spider Lily
The bulbs of Lycoris radiata are very poisonous. These are mostly used in Japan, and they are used to surround their paddies and houses to keep the pest and mice away. That is why most of them grow close to rivers now. In Japan the Red Spider Lily signals the arrival of fall. Many Buddhist will use it to celebrate the arrival of fall with a ceremony at the tomb of one of their ancestors. They plant them on graves because it shows a tribute to the dead. People believe that since the Red Spider Lily is mostly associated with death that one should never give a bouquet of these flowers.

Reference
Chandler, Brian. "Lycoris radiata." Higanbana. June 2002. WDG validated. 5 Apr 2009

Evans, Eva. "Lycoris radiata." NC State University. N/A. NC State University. 5 Apr 2009

Klingaman, Gerald. "Plant of the Week." University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. 19 June 2008. Cooperative Extension Services. 5 Apr 2009