Red Spider Lily, Hurricane Lily, Surprise Lily

I guess the official “common name” of this flower is Red Spider Lily.

Down here in the South, if you’re close enough to the coast to notice hurricane season, they’re sometimes called Hurricane  Lilies. Since they’ve been blooming over the last two or three weeks, they usually bloom at the height of hurricane season.

But, my favorite name is Surprise Lily. I don’t know if there’s an official reason for that name, but, several possibilities come to mind. One is the time of the season – everything’s winding down and more unexpected flowers arrive – surprise!

As you see, there aren’t any leaves that come up first to let you know there’s a flower on the way – it just shoots up from the ground – surprise!. And as you also see, it’s not in a bed, it’s just coming up in the middle of the grass. Each year more show up in new places – surprise!

So, I guess the theme of this one is more surprise blessings from God. More than we can even think.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV