Consulta Plantas

Care of the bulbous plant Hymenocallis or Spider lily

The genus Hymenocallis, family Amaryllidaceae, comprises 40 species of bulbous plants native to North and South America. Some species are: Hymenocallis littoralis, Hymenocallis speciosa, Hymenocallis amarcaes, Hymenocallis narcissiflora, Hymenocallis harrisiana.

Common name: Spider lily.

They are bulbous plants with linear leaves of an intense green color. The most interesting flowers appear in umbels at the end of a stem and can be yellowish or white; they have curious and characteristic long filaments. They bloom in summer.

They are used to form bulbous beds and in pots for terraces and balconies. If the climate is cold they are used as a greenhouse plant.

They need shade exposure and high humidity, especially in summer. They are delicate plants in terms of temperature for flowering: it must be above 15 ºC (59 ºF) for them to bloom in summer.

The soil must be a special substrate for bulbous well drained with coarse sand. Planting is done in spring or autumn, leaving the upper tip of the bulb out of the substrate.

Water abundantly when the plant has developed the leaves; reduce watering when they turn yellow. In winter water enough so the soil is slightly damp.

Fertilize every 15 days with mineral fertilizer during the growing season.

The worst enemy is excess moisture, which can rot the roots and the bulb.

They propagate from the bulblets that the plant itself produces.

Images of the bulbous plant Hymenocallis or Spider lily