Flower profile
Atamasco lily
Zephyranthes atamasco
Atamasco lily (Zephyranthes atamasco) is a flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae family, blooming mostly March–April across the U.S.
Atamasco lily is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: North Carolina, South Carolina
Quick look
Zephyranthes atamasca, commonly known as the atamasco lily, occasionally as the Easter lily or more generally a rain-lily, is native to the Southern United States. It grows in swampy forests and coastal prairies, preferring acid boggy soils rich with leaf mold. Following the appearance of broad, grassy leaves in early winter, it blooms in March or April.
- It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. iNaturalist
- In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
- In South Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,886 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #100 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 534 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #66 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | – | March–April | 1,886 |
| South Carolina | – | March–April | 534 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). 02 NCAC 48F .0301
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, stems. Symptoms they list: “May be fatal if eaten though it is so bitter it I difficult to ingest enough. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.” NC State Extension
NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. NC State Extension
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.
Names, range and relatives
Other Zephyranthes on Bloomipedia (2): Drummond's rain lily, Brazos rain-lily.
More from the Amaryllidaceae family (13 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Crowpoison, Wild garlic, Wide leek, Nodding onion, Red spider lily, Southern swamp crinum, Hooker's onion, Daffodil.
More North Carolina flowers
Sources
- USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
- iNaturalist, Zephyranthes atamasco: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Zephyranthes atamasca (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Will Bennett via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.