PlantFiles: Mangrove Spider Lily, Perfumed Spider Lily, Spider Lily
Hymenocallis latifolia

Visiting my daughter in Falfurrias, Texas, way south, we dug up some of these fragrant beauties and planted a few at home in SW Missouri. Don't know about cold-heartiness so I'll be digging up and potting in our sunroom over wintertime. After just one month in a pot, from bulb, my spider lily (Charlotte is what I call her) is blooming nicely already! The ones in the ground have not yet bloomed, but expect them to. They smell like lemon butter cookies!

My father gathered these from wild populations growing on islands in San Carlos Bay in Lee County Florida and planted them in our yard during my childhood in Fort Myers. They reproduce both by production of underground bulbs and by aerial bulbs that appear on the flower stalks after the flowers fade. They are beautiful, tough, low maintenance plants under tropical conditions that can be counted on for an impressive display of flowers during the summer, and an occasional stalk of blooms during the rest of the year. They are enthusiastic growers, so they should not be planted in close proximity to less vigorous plants. They will gradually spread outward from where they are planted, but do not pop up far away from their original planting site.

We just returned from a visit to Naples, Florida, where we were given some of these by a friend who had them growing in their yard. We saw these growing on the Gulf side of the barrier islands in the white sand, taking the full brunt of everything the Gulf area had to offer: salt spray, wind, full sun all day, torrential rains, etc. The plants were in full bloom and also appeared to set seeds. Very interesting to see them growing in such a "challenging" situation!!

Recently relocated to Piney Woods East Texas area. These plants were at this house - bloomed today - so now I know what they are. They're in full sun, gorgeous folliage too. Don't know where she got them but I'll be doing more research on them and will post info if I learn (by experience) any more.

We had lots of these growing in our yard in Fort Worth, Tx (zone 7). Brought some with us here to Virginia (6b), and they come back every year. Very beautiful and unusual flowers. Blooms don't last very long here, but they really add a nice tropical feel.

I have not grown this plant, but it grows along the Savannah river near Augusta, GA and North Augusta, SC. It also grows on the Saluda, Congaree, and Broad Rivers in Columbia, SC. This plant is an endangered species here. Healthy numbers of this plant in the wild can be seen among the islands in the three rivers previously mention in Columbia. It is obviously against the law to take them from their natural habitat.

This great, hardy native Spider Lily is native to beach dunes and coastal habitats and the coastal hammocks and mangrove swamp edges and swampy areas of central and southern Florida and the Keys (zones 9a through 11). In Florida, it is found from Brevard County on the east coast and Pinellas and Hillsborough counties on the west coast south through the Keys. The flowers are strongly, sweetly fragrant and are white. This plant is often used in native plant landscaping in central and southern Florida and is sold in many nurseries, especially native plant specialty stores. The leaves are oblong, up to 4 feet long, and thickish and leathery, which helps it survive in salty situations. A superb native plant for central and southern Florida and the Keys, it is a great plant for landscaping along the side or in the back or front yards of a home. It usually needs a lot of sun, though. It can withstand shade down to around medium shade, however, and is adaptable. The flowers often attract some pollinating insects as well. The leaves and flower stalks often can get up to several feet tall, up to around 5 feet high. This plant is also great as a native Florida plant for coastal situations, as it is highly salt-tolerant. Overall, a great alternative to non-natives in the southeast and southwest Florida landscape!

MORE FACTS - Found in/or grows wild in Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties (zones: 9a through 11).