How to Grow and Care for Resurrection Lily

Surprise Lily Care

Surprise lilies are fairly low-maintenance plants. Their unusual growth habit helps them thrive in areas with rainy springs and dry summers, so they do not need any supplemental irrigation during their dormant period. Excessive summer watering causes the bulbs to rot.

Surprise lily bulbs are large and reach about two inches in diameter. Choose the plumpest bulbs to get the best show of blooms. If you’re dividing bulbs, you can replant the smaller bulblets that form, but they might not flower for a year or two. Plant the bulbs about five to six inches deep or slightly deeper if you’re planting them in a zone they’re marginally hardy in. Plant them in a location that receives full sun or partial shade. Pick a spot where the plants are allowed to remain for the long term because they don’t like to be disturbed once planted.

The surprise lily foliage will die back during the late spring or early summer months, but you don’t need to remove any of the faded foliage from it. A couple of months later, you’ll be surprised by blossoms in various shades of pink that are growing atop naked stems.

Light

Resurrection lilies thrive in locations with full sun. However, the plants will tolerate partial shade, particularly in warmer climates.

Soil

These plants aren’t too particular about their soil, but they grow best in a loamy bed with good drainage and a pH around 6.5. If the soil is poor-quality, work a three-inch-thick layer of compost into the top foot of soil.

Water

The L. squamigera plant is not drought-tolerant, so it needs moderate watering during its growing season. However, you should limit watering during its dormant period during the winter months, as well as during the period in late June when the foliage begins to die back but the blossoms haven’t appeared yet.

Temperature and Humidity

Resurrection lilies are hardy—in fact, they’re the hardiest of all the Lycoris species—but they don’t tolerate extreme temperatures. If subjected to extreme heat or cold, flowers will be smaller and fewer. It tolerates a wide range of humidity levels.

Fertilizer

Let the bulbs settle in for about a month before fertilizing or you risk burning the root system. In the autumn, feed the plants with a high-potassium fertilizer, then provide a nitrogen-rich fertilizer in the early spring to encourage growth.

Pruning

Resurrection lilies do not need pruning beyond removing dead foliage and stems. Simply leave them alone and they will thrive in the garden.

Propagating Resurrection Lilies

The way to propagate resurrection lilies is by dividing existing plants. This should be done every few years once the blooms are diminished, which is a sign that it’s time to divide the bulbs to give the plant new vigor.

1. Before lifting the bulbs, water them thoroughly.
2. Use a shovel to lift the bulbs carefully, aiming to keep as much soil around the roots as possible.
3. Quickly work a three-inch-thick layer of compost into the top 12 inches of soil, then gently divide the bulbs and replant them at a depth of five to six inches and six inches apart.
4. Water them thoroughly and add a two-inch layer of mulch over the soil.

The plants won’t bloom the first year after being divided because they are establishing new roots.

Potting and Repotting Resurrection Lilies

Surprise lilies are suitable to be grown in containers. Choose a large container to allow the plant room to grow. Ensure the container has drainage holes to allow water to drain from the sand and potting soil mixture. Mix in a slow-release fertilizer and water well after planting.

Repot the bulbs when the plants begin to show signs of struggling for space, such as a reduction in blooms. Simply dig up the plant and divide the bulbs, then replant the largest bulbs in a pot similar to the size of the current one.

Overwintering

Resurrection lilies suffer from cold damage when the temperature dips below 28°F. To protect them, spread a two-inch-thick layer of mulch on top of the bulbs in the winter.

Common Pests

This plant might face trouble from aphids and from the lily leaf beetle, both of which can be controlled with insecticidal soap or spray. Fortunately, resurrection lily is quite hardy and doesn’t face serious plant diseases.

How to Get Resurrection Lily to Bloom

Keep in mind that during the first year, resurrection lilies won’t bloom; they are too busy creating a root system and can’t devote energy to flowers. After that first season, however, keeping the lilies in well-drained soil in an area of full afternoon sun will often be all that’s required to bring them bursting forth from the ground with a profusion of blooms.