When I spotted this strange-looking flower yesterday in the garden of my photography mentor and neighbor Cindy Dyer, I had no idea what it was—she informed me that it was a Peruvian Daffodil (Hymenocallis narcissiflora). This flower, according to information at gardeningknowhow.com, is native to the Andes of Peru and is a member of the daffodil and amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Its flowers resemble a “spidery” version of these flowers, as you can see in my photos. The elongated, sometimes curved, petals have led to the plant’s alternate common names, “spider lily” and “basket flower.”
Further exploration on the internet led me to wonder if this is actually the hybrid version known as Hymenocallis x festalis, a hybrid of the aforementioned Peruvian Daffodil as the female parent and the Hymenocallis. longipetala, another Peruvian flower, as the male parent, as detailed in an article by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Fearing that I would get sucked deeper into the world of plant ancestry, I stopped my research there.
Personally, I think that the name “spider lily” fits best and maybe that that is the name I will use in the future to refer to this crazy-looking flower.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
awesome flowers
Thanks. They are certainly not the usual kind that I see, but my friend really likes flowers that are photogenic, which means I have a source for photos for months on end as new ones bloom. That has come in handy in recent months when I have been staying close to home most of the time.
Nice Mike! Never saw one before!
It’s beautiful, Mike.
Interesting, I’ve never seen it.
I’m not sure how widespread this flower is–my friend got some bulbs for them on a half-price sale at a local store.
I grew these once, but not being hardy here, they have to be dug in the fall. For the short bloom period, I decided it wasn’t worth the garden space. As I recall, it is quite fragrant, as well as beautiful.
I don’t know for sure whether that is the case for our growing season, but it would be a pain to have to dig them up, although they are in a container, which would make it a bit easier.
Never seen one of them before. Wow!
They are both cool and unusual, for sure.
Stunning, Mike! A wonderful control of the whites.
What a striking flower!
“Fearing that I would get sucked deeper into the world of plant ancestry…” 😂❤️ That is one creepy looking blossom!
I’d be scared to get enough to smell it! 😂