Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Red Spider Lily bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Red spider lily, Hurricane lily, Surprise lily, Equinox flower, Naked lily, Higanbana, Red magic lily (Lycoris radiata).

More about red spider lily

About Red Spider Lily

Lycoris radiata · also called Red spider lily, Hurricane lily · flowering

Red spider lily (Lycoris radiata) is an autumn-flowering bulb in the amaryllis family, sending up leafless stems of fiery, spidery red blooms before its strap-like leaves appear. It is toxic to cats and dogs: every part contains the alkaloid lycorine, with the bulb most potent. Keep pets and children away and verify any exposure with your vet.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers (foliage only): Most often caused by planting the bulb too deeply — the neck must sit at or above the soil surface for flower buds to form.

The reasons red spider lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming red spider lily traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding red spider lily a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get red spider lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give red spider lily the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for red spider lily and get the feeding right with the red spider lily fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Red Spider Lily flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full red spider lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Red Spider Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my red spider lily flower?

Red Spider Lily blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make red spider lily bloom?

Give red spider lily the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does red spider lily normally bloom?