Crinum asiaticumGiant Spider Lily

Crinum asiaticum is a coastal bulb that behaves like architecture. The Giant Spider Lily sits on a fat exposed bulb the size of a football and throws out broad strappy leaves a metre and a half long, topped in the warm months by umbels of fragrant white flowers with narrow spidery petals.

It is a mainstay of beachfront and poolside planting because it tolerates salt, sand and reflected heat while still reading as a soft, generous form.

Specifications

• Height1 to 1.5 metres
• Width1 to 1.5 metres
• Native toCoastal tropical Asia and the Pacific islands
• FoliageBroad, strappy, arching bright green leaves rising from a large exposed bulb; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers sandy, free-draining soils and tolerates saline coastal ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; drought-tolerant once the bulb is established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and coastal regions

Additional Features

• FlowersUmbels of fragrant white flowers with long narrow petals, carried through the warm months
• UsesIdeal for beachfront mass planting, poolside and courtyard beds, and coastal borders
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1 metre apart for a continuous mass
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent leaves and flower stems; lift and divide only when clumps crowd
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, with the lily caterpillar the one pest worth watching
• Salt ToleranceLong established in front-line coastal positions and saline sands
• ToxicityThe bulb and sap are toxic if eaten and the sap can irritate skin

Giant Spider Lily gives coastal planting a bold, soft form that stands up to salt, sand and glare.