British Columbia: My Japanese Spider Lily is Unhappy

Hello I am in North Vancouver BC. I have a couple of Japanese Spider Lily bulbs that are struggling. They should bloom around the end of September and then produce leaves. They have been in the ground for about 20 months so we are coming up to winter number two. No flowers and at the moment the leaves are only about an inch long. So they don't seem very happy, but they are still in the land of the living. Do they take a long time to get established? Is North Van too cold for them? Should I dig them up and perhaps put them in a pot and treat them as indoor plants? I loved these flowers when I saw them in Japan so I really want them blossom and flourish (plus the bulbs were quite expensive...). Suggestions welcome!

 

Botanical name?

 

Sorry. Lycoris Radiati

 

I had never heard of them before. I did a quick search and saw that their hardiness is limited (-5°C)...

 

I think they should be ok for temperature - the growing area in Japan would be down to - 9.5, but I did wonder if the heat and humidity in the summer might be more of a factor. They really are beautiful and the bulbs are poisonous, so in Japan they grow them around the rice fields to deter the rats. I am going to send a note to the garden store where I bought the bulbs and see if they have any suggestions. Et merci beaucoup Alain!

 

I think they need more heat temperature. I researched the plant at the Japanese web site in Japanese, They don't grow in Hokkaido / northern Japan naturally.
I grew in Japan. When I was a kid, I saw them beside rice field every fall. But my wife grew in norther Japan, she doesn't remember them.

 

Lycoris | Pacific Bulb Society

 

Thank you! I saw them when I was visiting in Japan growing next to the rice fields so I really want them to flower for me here!

 

Thanks I will check this out.

 

Thank you everyone for checking into this for me - I also checked with the company that sold me the bulbs and they said that they are dormant in the summer, but need lots of sun in the fall and winter. Also apparently the bulbs don't like being moved. Anyway, I fertilized the bulbs and moved one into a pot so that I can give it more sun and keep it a bit closer to the house. So I am experimenting and we shall see what happens!

They are a beautiful lily so I hope I can get at least one to blossom and flourish!

 

Agree, in my NE Maryland garden, sunnier than the PNW but a bit dreary and wet by "southeastern coastal plain" standards, they really only thrive, bloom and multiply where they get full sun in winter. Furthermore a couple of the showy orange hybrids I've ordered from PDN are really languishing, which makes me think they want *even more* sun and warmth in winter.

 

Experiment results to date: the bulb in the pot grew leaves and seems happy. I kept it in the pot over the winter and planted it out in the spring. Leaves still present. The other bulb got covered by mulch and the leaves did not make it. I have moved that bulb into a container on the deck and it is still alive but I doubt it will flower. The big question is will the one that has leaves produce a flower this fall? Fingers crossed.

 

Thanks for keeping us updated on your plant!