Lycoris aurea
Golden Spider Lily
a member of the Lycoris genus in the family Amaryllidaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus
- Lycoris
- Height
- 0.6 m
- Spread
- 0.1 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The crushed bulb is used as a poultice for treating burns, scalds and ulcers[2]. The bulb contains lycorine, which is cytotoxic[2].
- Product or use
- Cytotoxic
- Product or use
- Poultice
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - China, Japan.
- Habitat
- oblanceolate, ca. 3 × 0.5 cm, margin strongly undulate. Stamens Shady and moist places on slopes and in rock crevices at elevations from 100 - 2300 metres[3].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 7+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse and should germinate in the spring[1]. Sow the seed thinly so that it does not need to be disturbed for its first year of growth. Give an occasional liquid feed during the growing season to ensure the plants do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when the plants become dormant, placing 2 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another 2 years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant. Division of offsets in the dormant season[1].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a deep well-drained sandy soil rich in organic matter in full sun[1]. Plants require a dry period when they become dormant in the summer and they also dislike winter wet[2]. Hardy to at least -15°c[1]. Plants are attractive to slugs and need to be protected from them[1]. Very sensitive to root disturbance, the bulbs can take some years to become well established[1].
References
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/