• Image of Lycoris traubii|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG
    |Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG
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Lycoris traubii

Traub's Surprise Lily

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Lycoris

Item #: 3971

Zones: 7a to 9b, at least

Dormancy: Summer

Height: 18" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: China

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Lycoris traubii is one of the great garden geophytes (bulbous plants) that hail from the floristically rich island of Taiwan. This October-flowering surprise lily produces an 18" tall stalk topped with 4-7 brilliant golden-orange, spidery flowers, held at a 90 degree angle to the stalk. Several weeks after flowering, the dark green foliage appears like a small clump of liriope that persists through the winter. This deer-resistant plant is often mistakenly sold as the related L. aurea, which is much shorter and comes into leaf several weeks earlier. Good winter drainage is best for top performance.