The Surprise Lily (Lycoris squamigera) is a unique flowering bulb known for its unusual growth cycle. This plant is often recognized by its evocative common names, which include Naked Lady, Magic Lily, and Resurrection Lily. The mystique comes from its habit of producing foliage in the spring, which then completely disappears by early summer. After a period of dormancy, leafless flower stalks rise rapidly from the bare ground in late summer, bearing clusters of fragrant, trumpet-shaped pink blooms.
How Surprise Lilies Spread
Surprise Lilies primarily spread through asexual reproduction, a mechanism that does not involve seeds. The main bulb produces smaller, genetically identical bulbs called offsets or bulbils. These offsets develop around the parent bulb until they are mature enough to establish their own root systems and become new, separate plants.
The species Lycoris squamigera is particularly reliant on this method because it is often a sterile triploid. This means the plant has three sets of chromosomes instead of the standard two, which prevents it from producing viable seeds.
Rate and Pattern of Growth
The result of this asexual division is a distinctive, non-aggressive pattern of expansion. Surprise Lilies do not spread via long, invasive underground runners like some other bulbous plants. Instead, the offsets remain close to the original plant, leading to a slow and steady naturalization. Over several years, a single bulb will mature into a dense, attractive clump as the new bulbs form directly adjacent to the parent. This slow rate of spread means the plant is not considered invasive, but it will eventually become overcrowded.
Managing Clump Expansion
To control the density of a planting or to propagate new groupings, the bulbs must be physically divided. Division is typically necessary when the clumps become so crowded that flowering performance begins to diminish. This usually occurs every three to five years, though established patches can persist longer.
The most effective time to divide the bulbs is when the plant is in its dormant phase, which occurs between the disappearance of the foliage and the emergence of the flower stalk. This period falls in early to mid-summer, or immediately after the flowers fade in late summer to early fall. Locating the bulbs can be challenging once the leaves are gone, so marking the area earlier is helpful.
To divide, carefully dig a wide circle around the clump to avoid damaging the large, deep bulbs. Once lifted, the offsets can be gently separated from the main bulb and replanted immediately. Replanting the bulbs five to six inches deep and spaced six to eight inches apart gives them sufficient room to begin their slow process of clumping anew.