What's Blooming Now?

There are at least 13 different spider lilies described in florida, but Hymenocallis latifolia, sometimes known as the beach spider lily, is a native of South Florida. Its narrow petals and sepals are so long and delicate that they can only reach upward briefly before drooping like wet hair. The petals have been likened to the legs of a crouching spider, thus giving them the common name of spider lily. Above the petals, pollen is borne on six stamens supported by a thin membranous funnel that holds sweet nectar deep within. In April, the beach spider lily produces clusters of 10 to 15 large, fragrant white blooms per stem; it can be found blooming from March through the summer. The whiteness of these lilies provides ghostly beacons that help lead sphinx moths to the flowers' nectar. As a sphinx moth hovers above a flower, its long, narrow wings brush against the flower, collecting and transporting pollen from lily to lily, satisfying the lily's requirements to reproduce.

The genus name Hymenocallis comes from the Greek and means "beautiful membrane," referring to the gossamer funnel that supports the stamens. The species name latifolia, meaning "broad leaf," refers to the heavy, sword-like leaves that help differentiate the beach spider lily from others. The beach spider lily is naturally found in habitats that include sandy coastal habitats and high areas of mangrove swamps. It is also available and prized as a cultivated plant in South Florida because of its tolerance of sandy soils, periodic drought conditions and salt spray.

-Jerome A. Jackson, Florida Gulf Coast University