Giant Spider Lily - Crinum asiaticum

[estación seca]

I visited friends in Miami October-November 2016. (It was very interesting dining in a Cuban restaurant and hearing a heated discussion of the election in Spanish.)

Near the Miami civic center we saw a planting of Crinum asiaticum, Asiatic spider lily. Its seed-bearing flower stalks overhung the sidewalk. I brought home one of the seeds, the size of a small avocado seed. I planted it in mid November 2016, and it sprouted in May this year. Here it is in a 1-quart / liter foam cup.

Crinum is an ancient genus in family Amaryllidaceae, with species world wide. This is one of the largest species, with long, strap-like leaves. Flower stalks can reach 6 feet / 1.75 meters high. Flowers are white, large, in clusters, and fragrant at night. It is used throughout the warm tropics as a large landscape plant.

The entire genus has seeds very large for the size of the plant, adapted to dispersal by floating. In habitat, they seldom grow far from standing summer water.

[WhiteRabbit]

Awesome! I can't wait to see its flowers!

[estación seca]

HA! I don't think I have enough frost-free room to let it get that big!

[charlesf6]

Wow, a year and a half to sprout.
Well I guess it will be worth it!
Nice!

[estación seca]

Sorry! I got it last November, 2016. I made a typo.

[bethmarie]

Very cool! I have been sticking any and every seed I could find in dirt since I was a kid. Always amazing to watch one sprout. I wonder what name the seed Muse goes by?

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Sorry! I got it last November, 2016. I made a typo.

I kinda felt that this might be the case but I wasn't sure and I couldn't get it out of my head.
That "expains the whole story better for me".