Ismene x festalis

Ismene x festalis

Bletilla striata

Bletilla striata

Hymenocallis littoralis

Spider Lily, Beach Spider Lily, Sea Daffodil
Size
1.5L pots
Availability: Sold Out
£6.99
Quick Overview
  • Utterly beautiful spider-like flower
  • Fragrant
  • Attractive strappy foliage
  • Lift in the autumn
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Hymenocallis littoralis, usually called the Beach Spider Lily, is an astonishingly beautiful bulbous perennial with long strap-like leaves and gorgeous white flowers which have long narrow reflexed spider-like tepals attached behind the central transparent staminal cup. It is prolific flowering and will bear multiple stems in the summer and its exotic beauty is enhanced by its sweet yet soft fragrance.

It it endemic to Central America including Mexico, Guatemala and Columbia where it is often found along the coast and waterways, its roots enjoying the combination of abundant water and a well-drained sandy soil. The species was first described in 1763 as Pancratium littorale by the Dutch botanist Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in his book Selectarum Stirpium Americanarum Historia where he found it thriving on the beaches of the island of Tierra Bomba, off the Caribbean coast of Cartagena, Colombia. It was renamed Hymenocallis in 1812 by the controversial Richard Salisbury, one of the few generic names Salisbury proposed that hasn't since been overturned.

Hymenocallis littoralis is a stunning plant that has the capacity to stop you in your tracks. It loves to be well-watered throughout the growing season and does best in a humus-rich soil to which has been added generous quantities of sharp sand or grit. Regular weekly feeding from spring through to summer is recommended. You will need to be on slug and snail patrol as the pesky molluscs seem very partial to munching on the foliage. It is technically an evergreen plant but in the UK where it is tender it soon loses its foliage as the days get shorter and colder. It should be lifted in the autumn and stored overwinter to plant out again in March. If grown in containers, it can be left in situ and the whole pot brought into a cool - or preferably, warm - glasshouse for the winter, replenishing part of the soil and repotting at least once every two years.

Highly recommended. Limited quantities available.


Additional Information

Order Asparagales
Family Amaryllidaceae
Sub-Family Amaryllidoideae
Synonyms Hymenocallis adnata, Hymenocallis adnata var. disticha, Hymenocallis adnata var. driandrina, Hymenocallis adnata var. dryanderi, Hymenocallis adnata var. staplesiana, Hymenocallis americana, Hymenocallis americana f. disticha, Hymenocallis americana f. dryanderi, Hymenocallis americana f. staplesiana, Hymenocallis arenaria, Hymenocallis biflora, Hymenocallis disticha, Hymenocallis dryanderi, Hymenocallis dryandri, Hymenocallis insignis, Hymenocallis littoralis var. disticha, Hymenocallis littoralis var. dryanderi, Hymenocallis littoralis var. dryandri, Hymenocallis littoralis var. longituba, Hymenocallis niederleinii, Hymenocallis panamensis, Hymenocallis pedalis, Hymenocallis peruviana, Hymenocallis senegambica, Hymenocallis stapelsiana, Hymenocallis staplesii, Hymenocallis tenuiflora, Pancratium acutifolium, Pancratium americanum, Pancratium distichum, Pancratium dryanderi, Pancratium littorale, Pancratium littorale var. dryanderi, Pancratium littorale var. dryandri, Pancratium pedale, Pancratium pediale, Pancratium staplesii, Pancratium tenuiflorum, Troxistemon distichus, Troxistemon dryanderi, Troxistemon littorale
Geographical Origin Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, the Caribbean
Cultivation Warmth and sun. Humus-rich but very well-drained soil. Water well during the growing season
Eventual Height Foliage to 60cm, flowers to 1m
Eventual Spread 40-60cm
Hardiness Tender. Lift bulbs in autumn and store in a cool frost-free environment until March. Or leave in pots in a warm frost-free area
Hymenocallis littoralis
Spider Lily, Beach Spider Lily, Sea Daffodil
Size
1.5L pots
Availability: Sold Out
£6.99
You could receive 20 Palm Points for writing a review for this product.
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