White spider lily (Lycoris albiflora)

White-flower surprise lily

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Plant palette

Lycoris albiflora: The White-Flower Surprise Lily

Boasting elegant, creamy white blossoms with delicately recurved petals, Lycoris albiflora stands as a highly regarded natural hybrid in the spider lily genus. Botanist Gen-Iti Koidzumi first described this taxon in 1924, recognizing its unique morphology that places it intermediate between its parent species.

This plant belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae and arises from a cross between Lycoris aurea and Lycoris radiata. Its striking white flowers emerge suddenly from the bare soil in late summer, earning it the common name of white-flower surprise lily.

Taxonomy

∟ царство Plantae
∟ division Tracheophytes (Vascular Plants)
∟ subdivision Spermatophytes (Seed plants)
∟ Angiosperms
∟ monocots
∟ order Asparagales
∟ family Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis family)
∟ subfamily Amaryllidoideae
∟ tribe Lycorideae
∟ genus Lycoris (Spider Lily)
∟ species Lycoris albiflora (White spider lily)

Morphology

The root system of this perennial consists of a tunicate bulb that remains dormant during the hot summer months. In late summer or early autumn, it sends up a stout, leafless scape that bears an umbel of 4 to 8 flowers.

Each flower displays narrow, wavy tepals that curve backward, showing prominent, long stamens and style that extend well beyond the floral envelope. The strap-like leaves appear only after the flowering period has ended, surviving through the winter before dying back in spring.

Flowering season

Late summer to early autumn

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

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Aug

Sep

Oct

Name

Dec

Applications

Cultivators value this hybrid for its striking aesthetic appeal in landscape designs, particularly in rock gardens and borders. Its sudden autumn bloom creates a dramatic focal point when other summer plants have faded.

Interesting facts

As a sterile triploid hybrid, this lily relies entirely on bulb division for reproduction rather than seed production. Its parental legacy combines the brilliant yellow coloration of Lycoris aurea and the intense red of Lycoris radiata, resulting in its characteristic soft white to pale cream tepals.

Geography of distribution

Japan
China
Korea

Sources

POWO: Lycoris × albiflora Koidz. Plants of the World Online. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.
IPNI: Lycoris × albiflora Koidz., Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 38: 100 (1924).
GBIF: Lycoris × albiflora Koidz.