Is the golden spider lily and the red spider lily the same plant?
The golden spider lily, also known as iron-colored arrow and yellow-flowered spider lily, is a perennial plant of the genus Lycoris in the Amaryllidaceae family. It mostly grows on shady, damp hillsides and is distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, China, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places in China. Its appearance is very similar to the red spider lily, with only a difference in flower color. Let us take a look below at whether the golden spider lily is the red spider lily!
Is the golden spider lily the red spider lily?
The golden spider lily is not the red spider lily. The red spider lily comes only in red and white; the red one is called manjusaka, or red-flowered spider lily, and the white one is called mandarava, or white-flowered spider lily. The golden spider lily, whose scientific name is yellow-flowered spider lily, belongs with the red spider lily to the same genus Lycoris in the Amaryllidaceae family as perennial plants, that is, they differ only in flower color. The golden spider lily and the red spider lily are almost identical in toxicity, but after processing they can be used as medicine. The flowers are very beautiful; when it blooms there are no leaves, and when there are leaves there are no flowers.
What is the flower language of the golden spider lily?
The flower language of the golden spider lily is love of death, and love that is very painful. Because the whole plant of the golden spider lily is highly toxic, its flower language and legends carry a certain mysterious color. Legend says the golden spider lily is the tenderness of demons, a flower in heaven that voluntarily threw itself into hell, yet was sent back by the demons. But because it could not return to heaven, it still wandered on the road to the Yellow Springs. The demons could not bear it, so they agreed to let the golden spider lily bloom on this ordinary road, giving guidance and comfort to those souls who have left the human world. Therefore its flower language is love of death, and love that is very painful.
What uses does the golden spider lily have?
1. Medicinal value: the whole plant of the golden spider lily contains lycorine and other raw materials used in medicine, and has effects such as resolving phlegm, inducing vomiting, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and promoting urination, but it is highly toxic and should be used with caution. Among these, the bulb is the raw material for extracting galantamine, a drug for treating the sequelae of infantile paralysis. Usually in spring and autumn, the bulbs of wild or cultivated spider lilies after 2 to 3 years are dug up, washed and sun-dried, or sliced and sun-dried. When used, it is applied externally by pounding it into a paste and spreading it on the affected area.
2. Ornamental use: in gardens, the golden spider lily can be used as understory groundcover flowers, planted in groups in flower borders or in natural-style plantings among rocks. Because it has only leaves when not in bloom, it is best paired with other herbaceous plants that are more tolerant of light. The planting density is 15 to 20 cm between plants and 40 cm between rows, with 1 row of other evergreen plants planted between the rows. In addition, the golden spider lily has a robust scape and a long flower stem, making it an ideal cut flower material.