Interesting info

The blooming of the spiderlily is a high point of the year at Twin Swamps. The plant stands tall and can be seen from some distance as people hike through the preserve.

This spectacularly beautiful plant is on the "watch list" Indiana.

Care should be taken to preserve this plant. Do not pick spiderlilies or any plant at the preserve.

You ought to know

Height: about 3'

Frequency: Found in clusters; three or four patches of these flowers are known at the preserve.

Blooms: August

Range: At its northern limit in the southwestern corner of Indiana.

More common in swampy areas of Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas, but range extends up the river valleys into southern Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.

At the end of the summer in 1998, the spiderlilies were devoured by a swarm of caterpillars, the larvae of the Xanthopastis moth.

Spiderlilies produce large bean-like seeds that should not be disturbed.