The tropical spider lily is one of my favorite plants here in Key West because there is just so much going on in one place! First off, they can be HUGE, with giant, wide green leaves and purple striations that look so impressive in a garden landscape. This is a different variety than the general spider lily, which is found throughout the South. This is a behemoth of a plant! The leaves are green year round, but in summer the plant starts really showing off. They produce a large purple fruit....see the photo below. Kinda cool, right? If the fruit isn't removed eventually it will go to seed and make more spider lilies. Then come the flowers. Large and definitely 'spidery' with a heady, strong fragrance that just screams tropical island. There are some very impressive examples of the tropical spider lily at the West Martello Museum (you know, where Robert the Doll lives), in the middle green area, between the garden entrances to the museum. I photographed this plant last week at Coconut Beach resort in Old Town.
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