Lycoris Radiata

A beautiful flower, with a deviant meaning.

Beyond being beautiful, red spider lilies (or lycoris radiata) have a symbolic meaning. The flowers mysteriously bloom right around the autumnal equinox and are associated with the coming darkness of winter. Over time, this fact has led Japanese to associate the flowers with the transition between light and dark, life and death. Japanese often plant the beautiful, bright-red flowers around cemeteries to placate spirits and create a colorful boundary between the world of the living and the netherworld beyond.