Atamasco Lily
Zephyranthes atamasco
They are called 'Rain Lilies' because their blossoms often appear suddenly, just days after a heavy spring downpour.
- Scientific name
- Zephyranthes atamasco
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Asparagales › Amaryllidaceae › Zephyranthes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Wet deciduous forests, floodplains, and swampy meadows.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (Sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi
- Size
- 8 to 15 inches (20-38 cm) in height.
- Lifespan
- Perennial; bulbs can persist for decades if undisturbed.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, land development, and competition from invasive groundcover.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but highly toxic if ingested due to alkaloids like lycorine. Keep away from pets and children. Wash hands after handling the plant or bulbs; if ingested, seek medical or veterinary help immediately.
Zephyranthes atamasca , commonly known as the atamasco-lily or more generally a rain-lily , is native to the southeastern United States. It grows in swampy forests and coastal prairies, preferring acid boggy soils rich with leaf mold. Following the appearance of broad, grassy leaves in early winter, it blooms in March or April. It has several narrow, linear basal leaves about 0.5 in (13 mm) wide and 10–15 in (25–38 cm) long. Its native range extends from Florida north to Maryland and
Photo: Michael J. Papay, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/b73979f3-a954-4b9e-89ea-3c1526fd2547.md