Flower profile
Red spider lily
Lycoris radiata
Red spider lily (Lycoris radiata) is a flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.
Red spider lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in September–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina
Quick look
Lycoris radiata, known as the red spider lily, red magic lily, corpse flower, or equinox flower, is a plant in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. It is originally from China, Japan, Korea and Nepal and spread from there to the United States and elsewhere. It is considered naturalized in Seychelles and in the Ryukyu Islands.
- It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 881 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #62 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 462 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #80 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 420 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #94 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | – | September–October | 881 |
| Louisiana | Introduced | few records (41) | 462 |
| South Carolina | Introduced | few records (35) | 420 |
| Mississippi | Introduced | few records (49) | 329 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Alabama
- No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe has no Alabama rank for it.
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
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: low). Poisonous parts: roots. Symptoms they list: “Causes only low toxicity if bulb is eaten. Abdominal pain, salivation, shivering, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.” NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 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 records red spider lily in 8 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.
Alabama counties with USDA records: Baldwin.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Claiborne, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, Franklin, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, Tensas, Webster, West Carroll, Winn.
South Carolina counties with USDA records: York.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 25 counties across 7 states; the most are in Louisiana (15), Florida (3), Tennessee (3).
More from the Amaryllidaceae family (13 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Crowpoison, Wild garlic, Wide leek, Drummond's rain lily, Nodding onion, Brazos rain-lily, Southern swamp crinum, Atamasco lily.
More Alabama flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LYRA.
- iNaturalist, Lycoris radiata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Lycoris radiata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Lycoris radiata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Grant Foster via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.