How to Grow and Care for Rain Lilies

If you're unfamiliar with the rain lily (Zephyranthes candida), you might mistake this flower for a crocus, as they are similar in size and shape. Also known as the fairy lily and zephyr flower, these warm-climate flowering bulbs prefer full sun and tolerate most soils. The flowers tend to open after rainfall, hence the name.

This perennial flower bulb will spread abundantly in your flower garden with little or no care. Like many other lilies, rain lilies may be toxic to people and pets.

Rain Lily Care

Rain lilies are easy to care for once planted. Here are the main requirements for growing rain lilies:

• Choose a spot with full sun, ideally receiving six hours of sunlight or more.
• Plant the bulbs in the fall four to eight inches deep.
• Plant deeper in sandy soil or if you live in a marginal growing zone and want to ensure hardiness.
• There is no need to water rain lilies, unless you are in a drought and want to see them bloom.

Light

Choose an area in full sun to plant rain lilies. Some dappled shade or afternoon shade is usually tolerated, especially in hot climates.

Soil

Rain lilies thrive in average to rich garden soil. The bulbs exhibit tolerance to a wide range of drainage situations, so try your luck with rain lilies in both boggy and sandy conditions.

Water

While rain lilies can survive periods of drought, you won’t see their flowers until a summer soaking triggers the blooms to appear. You can choose to wait out the drought, or irrigate the flowers thoroughly to prompt flowering.

Temperature and Humidity

Rain lilies are best suited for warm, humid environments. Gardeners in colder growing zones can still enjoy these plants in containers, where they perform reliably as border fillers.

Fertilizer

Rain lilies do not need to be fertilized, but if you're planting them in heavy clay you can spread a layer of compost over the ground before they emerge in the spring.

Types of Rain Lilies

Unnamed white and pink rain lilies are the most common and easiest to find but do a little digging to find these named cultivars that will bring a range of colors to your flower garden.

• 'Abacos Apricot': Also known as August grass, this native of the Bahamas features coral blooms with a yellow center.
• 'Bangkok Peach': From July until early fall, enjoy the most delicate pale peach-hued blooms.
• 'Beni Tama': Flowering begins in June, with pink blooms and prominent yellow stamens.
• 'Big Dude': Broad white petals have a hint of lavender frost, making them glow in the night garden.
• 'Rose Perfection': A rare selection sporting perfectly pink flowers with a central white stripe on each petal.
• 'Star of Bethlehem': Vivid orange flowers with some yellow streaking
• 'Fedora': Large white flowers begin early, in May, and continue throughout the summer.
• 'Lily Pies': If you must choose just one, let it be this striking pink and white bicolor.
• 'Midas Touch': As the name implies, bright gold blooms on 10-inch stems.

Pruning

Rain lily foliage is mostly evergreen, but you can cut it back on occasion, or even mow it in a meadow garden, without harming the plants.

Propagating Rain Lilies

Once established, rain lilies will spread and multiply on their own, but they are not considered invasive.

Potting and Repotting

Rain lilies grow well in pots. The tops of the bulbs should be covered by an inch of soil. Although generally planted two to four inches apart when in the ground, when grown in containers, rain lily bulbs can be placed closer together, as they prefer being crowded.

Overwintering

In areas where rain lilies are hardy, you can leave them in the ground all year. North of USDA growing zone 7, you must dig the bulbs in the fall and store them in a frost-free area over the winter.

How to Get Rain Lilies to Bloom

Rain lilies rarely need help flowering when planted properly and grown in the proper conditions. They are usually inspired to bloom by rain.

Bloom Months

Rain lilies flower throughout the summer and into the fall.

How Long Do Rain Lilies Bloom?

An individual rain lily flower will last for a few days. The bulb may re-bloom throughout the season, especially after rainfall. Year after year, the bulbs will continue to bloom if healthy and will also spread nearby, creating more bulbs that will also bloom.

What Do Rain Lilies Look and Smell Like?

Classic rain lilies are white and have a crocus-like shape, like a funnel. They emit a light fragrance that can be described as sweet. Many varieties of rain lilies can be planted and offer additional colors besides white, such as pink and yellow.

How to Encourage More Blooms

There are a few issues that may effect rain lilies blooming. The bulbs may be planted too closely, not deeply enough, or in an area of inadequate sunlight. Try replanting them at a proper distance and depth, in a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sun.

There are also a couple of practices that can prevent blooming: over-fertilizing and cutting the foliage after flowering in the year prior. Resist adding too much nitrogen in the soil and cutting the leaves of rain lilies in winter.

Lastly, though rain lily bulbs are drought-resistant, you may need to give them a drink in particularly thirsty times to encourage them to bloom more.

Caring for Rain Lilies After They Bloom

Cut back flowers after they are finished, which will allow the bulb to put out more flowers. At the end of the growing season, you can trim back the plant, but do not do so until stems become brown and hollow. There is no need to trim it back before then.

Deadheading Rain Lilies

Once flowers are spent, deadhead them by pinching them or cutting them off to encourage the bulb to re-flower.