Hymenocallis occidentalis
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Northern Spider-lily
AMARYLLIDACEAE
Also known as Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Flower | |
| Size: | 1-2 ft tall. 1-1.5 ft wide. Forms clumps. | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White | |
| Phenology: | In Florida, winter dormant (has bulbs). However, the new leaves appear in midwinter. Flowering begins in early July in northern Florida and extends through September. | |
| Noted for: | Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Houseplant, water garden, bog garden, stream edge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Bulb is poisonous. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed, division of clumps. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, Quality nurseries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Pond, lake, or stream bottom, Loam, Organic material (muck), Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Acidic to neutral | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
| |
| Insects: | ||
| Native Habitats: | Floodplains and nearby forested uplands |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
8A 8B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | Hymenocallis occidentalis has a long history of cultivation in southern gardens and is grown well beyond its native range. The Flora of North America references a plant, harvested from the wild near Evergreen, Alabama and planted at the Henry Foundation’s southern garden in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, which has not only survived but bloomed prolifically for over 40 years. | |
| General Comments: | The natural range of this species includes parts of the eastern panhandle, but overall, it is a southern coastal plain and Mississippi Valley species whose range extends from South Carolina to Texas and up the Mississippi Valley as far north as southern Illinois and Indiana. |