No matter how old we are, most of us enjoy a surprise. And, there are many surprises associated with a garden.

In late July into September, gardeners who have Lycoris radiata or Lycoris squamigera planted in their gardens are in for one of the best treats of the late summer to fall season.

Lycoris squamigera is called the surprise lily, magic lily, resurrection lily or naked lady. They are hard to find in the retail market, but are a blessing when passed down from one gardener to another. Agnes Mitchell shared some with me from her garden many years ago. Their bloom stalks burst through the ground after many of the early summer blooming perennials have disappeared. Their clusters of light pink blooms appear before the strap-like foliage starts to emerge. The blooms last only a few days, but the foliage lingers throughout the fall season. The original owner of Mynelle Gardens in Jackson was a huge fan of these old-fashioned, flowering bulbs. She had many growing on her property, according to Felder Rushing in an article he wrote about her in the early 1990s.

Lycoris radiata, also known as the red spider lily or British soldier, blooms later in the fall and is far more familiar to most area gardeners. Spider lilies tend to naturalize in a garden and will bloom for years if left undisturbed. The bright red, spidery blooms will start appearing within the next few weeks. They come up readily in flower beds, up through ground cover and in grassy sections of a lawn. As with the naked ladies, no foliage appears until after the blooms have died on their stalks. The buds produce a bloom within two to three days after it emerges from the ground. Unfortunately, those that come up in a lawn can easily be mowed down unless one is vigilant in watching the area where they are planted for the first sign of the buds peeking up from beneath the ground.

Bill Welch, author of “The Southern Heirloom Garden,” said that the red spider lily is a native of Japan. Some of the first documented L. radiata bulbs were brought into a garden in New Bern, N.C., by Capt. William Roberts. He was with Commodore Perry when he opened the port of Japan in 1852. Only three bulbs made the journey. They were in such a dry condition that they did not show signs of life until after the War between the States ended, according to Roberts’ niece, the recipient of the gift. Those three bulbs multiplied vigorously, and their descendants can be seen in thousands of gardens across the southeast, according to Welch.

Another species occasionally seen in our area is Lycoris africana, commonly called the yellow spider lily or hurricane lily. They look quite similar to the red spider lilies, but are far less frost tolerant. They grow quite well along the Gulf Coast and Florida. If well-protected, they will grow in the central section of our state. Welch mentions that there is also a white form of L. radiata, but they are not as vigorous and easy to obtain as the red ones.

These bulb producing perennials are easy to grow in sun or shade. Welch says that they thrive and multiply best in somewhat acidic soils, but require excellent drainage as do most other bulbs. Propagate by dividing the bulbs in late summer after they bloom or when the foliage starts to appear. Work organic matter into the soil and fertilize with bone meal or a bulb fertilizer, well incorporated into the soil before planting.

Red spider lilies are small bulbs and should be planted at a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Naked ladies are much larger bulbs and are planted 6 inches deep. According to the Sunset publication “How to Grow Bulbs,” spider lilies and naked ladies can be planted in pots – however, not as deep as when planted in the ground. The tops should be slightly exposed, and the pot should not be very large. If planted in this manner, they should be allowed to dry out in midsummer. Then they need to be watered well immediately prior to bloom time, which is mid-July for naked ladies and mid- to late August for red spider lilies. They bloom better when pot-bound and should not be moved or divided too frequently if grown this way.

These bulbs remain popular in Japan and China today. They grow in gardens and along the sides of rice paddies where they produce a brilliant flash of color each fall. Garden surprises evidently are appreciated no matter which side of the globe one happens to garden.

Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and master flower show judge, has been active with the Vicksburg Council of Garden Clubs for more than 20 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.