The red spider lily, like other flowers, is significant in many biological, cultural, and symbolic contexts. Historically native to several East Asian countries, the flower’s name comes from its thin appendages that resemble spider legs. The lily has deep ritualistic significance in the Buddhist religion, where many use it to adorn ancestral tombs.

What does a red spider lily mean? The flower, bearing many names related to returning and surviving, symbolizes resilience and reincarnation. Let’s discuss it in-depth, including what they represent and how to maintain them.

Red Spider Lily Meaning

What does it symbolize? These flowers have many meanings pertaining to their abundant, strong, and recurring nature. Their surprising strength in stormy times also earns them the names “magic lily” and “surprise lily.”

They are perennials, meaning they flower every year. They bloom around late summer and early autumn and come out after heavy rain, earning them the nickname “hurricane lilies.” Since they arrive after storms and bloom continuously, many cultures associate it with reincarnation and resurrection. 

Due to their flowering season, red spider lilies also represent the coming of autumn. The autumn equinox has deep significance in Chinese and other cultures as a time related to death and the afterlife. As a result, many Asian cultures associate the lily with death, using them in funerals and other ceremonies. 

Since it is not native to the United States, it also symbolizes exotic, tropical climates and the Far East. Red Spider Lily Characteristics

The lily is part of the amaryllis family, which it shares with onions, leeks, and many other flowering lilies. 

The petals of the red spider lily exist as an umbel, which means they spread from a common center point. These flowers bloom in clusters from the same stem, and each flower has several thin appendages that stretch skyward from the middle. As a result, the lily resembles a spider flipped upside down. 

An alternate name for the flower, the “naked lady,” comes from the lack of foliage on the flower’s stem. 

Is Red Spider Lily Poisonous to Humans?

One reason for the flower’s association with death and the afterlife is because its bulbs are poisonous. In Japan and other cultures, some farmers plant it around their rice paddies and rivers, letting pests eat the toxic bulbs. Doing so deters and kills pests while adorning the area with beautiful red flowers. 

Thankfully, the red spider lily’s bulbs only pose a light risk to humans. Eating the roots or bulbs of the flower will cause stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms, but they are not lethal to ingest. There is no risk of poison touching the roots, petals, or other parts. Ultimately this flower is only a serious concern to small animals that burrow underground. 

Growing and Taking Care of Red Spider Lilies

The noninvasive red spider lily is a lovely addition to your garden that can keep away pests and add flair from the Far East. 

The most common variety of red spider lilies is the sterile triploid form from Southwestern Japan. To breed the triploid, you must divide the bulbs every few years to propagate more plants. Alternatively, the diploid version from China can be bred like normal flowers.

Red spider lilies flourish best in warm environments and about twelve inches apart from other plants. They love full sun and partial shade. These flowers are sensitive to cold weather, so indoor cultivation is best if you live in a chilly area. The flower also needs excellent drainage to avoid oversoaking. 

They grow magnificently in greenhouses and indoor gardens across the world. As long as they live in the right environmental conditions, red spider lilies are hardy and will flourish without dedicated care. Since they are perennials, the flowers will continually come back each year.

It has a unique growing season, beginning in late summer and lasting until early spring. Since they last through the winter, it is critical to plant them where their foliage will be undisturbed for the cold season. As the spider lily ages, its flowers gradually lighten from red to pink. By spring, its foliage will turn yellow but will return vibrantly in autumn.

Conclusion

Everything about the red spider lily is unique and exotic. From Japanese origins, the flower has a rare blooming season, a distinct shape, and a variety of names. It is dense with cultural significance and dripping with aesthetic charm. In a bouquet, it is the perfect flower to convey persistence, abundance, and sacredness. 

A handful of red spider lily bulbs will surprise you with their resilience year after year. Plant them in a sunny area and watch the beautiful petals and appendices sprawl to life in early autumn.