Closeup of Atamasco rain lily flower.

Know Your Native Rain Lilies

According to the Atlas of Florida Plants, Florida is home to 10 species of rain lily in the genus Zephyranthes but only two are native. While the other eight non-native species are not invasive, some have escaped cultivation and now thrive in rural and urban areas. This article will introduce you to Florida’s beautiful native rain lilies and highlight a few common non-native species they are often mistaken for.

The common name “rain lily” comes from the wildflower’s tendency to bloom after rain showers. Another common name is Zephyr lily.

Florida’s native rain lilies

Zephyranthes atamasca

Common names: Rain lily, Atamasco lily, Easter lily
Conservation status: State-threatened
Florida range: Panhandle, north and central peninsula to Highlands County
Description:

  • Occurs naturally in open habitats with seasonally moist soils including open flatwoods and floodplains as well as roadsides and pastures.
  • Blooms late winter through early summer, with most abundant flowering in spring.
  • Solitary flowers are white (although sometimes slightly tinged with pink, especially on the outer side of petals) and have bright yellow anthers. Leaves are basal and grasslike.
Closeup of Atamasco rain lily flower.
Rain lily (Zephyranthes atamasca) flower. Photo by Betsy Harris
Rainlilies blooming along roadside
Roadside Rain lilies (Zephyranthes atamasca). Note the pinkish hues on the back of petals and spent flowers while open blooms are mostly white. Photo by Eleanor Dietrich

Taxonomy: Some sources recognize Z. atamasca as having two distinct varieties: Z. atamasca var. atamasca and Z. atamasca var. treatiae. The defining morphological feature is that Z. atamasca var. atamasca has wider leaves than Z. atamasca var. treatiae. Some sources spell the epithet as atamasco. Although it was originally published as atamasca, the spelling atamasco was later used by Linnaeus.

Additional resources:


Zephyranthes simpsonii

Simpson's lily blooming in a grassy field.
Simpson’s rain lily (Zephyranthes simpsonii). Photo by Bruce Sorrie

Common names: Rain lily, Simpson’s lily, Zephyr lily
Conservation status: State-threatened
Florida range: Panhandle, peninsula from Marion County south to Collier and Palm Beach counties.
Description:

Additional resources:

Non-native rain lilies in Florida

One of the first factors to consider when distinguishing between native and non-native Zephyranthes species is seasonality. Our native species bloom in early spring and go dormant in summer, while most of the non-native species bloom in summer. Although some overlap may occur in early summer, a rain lily blooming later in the season is unlikely to be native.

In this section, we’ll review the four non-native species most commonly mistaken for our natives. A complete list of Zephyranthes species, both the native and non-native, documented in Florida can be found here.

Zephyranthes robusta

Common names: Rain lily, Copper lily
Native range: Eastern South America
Description:

  • The most common of the non-native species, it often volunteers in lawns and along roadsides. It typically blooms from summer through fall and has been reported on iNaturalist across the state, with more frequent observations in the peninsula and rare occurrences in the Panhandle.
  • The flower’s petals can range from deep to very light pink to mostly white with pink tinge on the ends. Anthers are bright yellow and leaves are straplike.
  • To differentiate this species from native ones, consider the blooming season, petal color, and leaf width. Our native species bloom earlier in the year and typically have predominately white petals and narrower leaves.

Taxonomy: Some sources list this as Habranthus robustus.

Close-up of a pink Ropper lily flower.
Non-native Rain lily (Zephyranthes robusta) flower. Photo by Allen Boatman.
Non-native light pink Rain lilies growing on a neighborhood roadside.
Non-native Rain lilies (Zephyranthes robusta) growing on a neaighborhood roadside.
Photo credit: CC BY-NC shelbyrad
Non-native Rain lilies growing in a rural landscape.
Non-native Rain lilies (Zephyranthes robusta) growing in a rural landscape.
Photo credit: CC BY-NC shelbyrad


Zephyranthes candida

Non-native Fall rain lilies in bloom.
Non-native Fall rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida). Photo by Keith Bradley

Common names: Autumn zephyr lily, Fall rain lily, White rain lily
Native range: East Central South America
Description:

  • Relatively uncommon but has been documented outside of cultivation in North and Central Florida.
  • With its pure white petals, bright yellow anthers and grasslike leaves, this species closely resembles our native rain lilies. However, as its common names suggest, it blooms in the fall. Finding a white rain lily in bloom during this season is a strong indicator that it is not native.


Zephyranthes carinata

Non-native Pink rain lily flower.
Non-native Pink rain lily (Zephyranthes carinata). Photo by Alan Franck

Common names: Rosepink zephyr lily, Pink rain lily
Native range: Central America and Columbia
Description:

  • Relatively uncommon but has been documented outside of cultivation throughout the state.
  • Most likely to be mistaken for the non-native Z. robusta, this species has consistently deep to light pink flowers. Its flower color and summer bloom season are key traits for distinguishing it from native species.


Zephyranthes insularum

Island zephyr lily flower.
Island zephyr lily (Zephyranthes insularum) flower.
Photo by Allen Boatman

Common names: Rain lily, Island zephyr lily
Native range: Cuba
Description:

  • Rare, with single vouchers submitted from Orange, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Broward counties along with a few urban observations on iNaturalist from Miami-Dade County.
  • With its white flowers and some overlap in bloom time (late spring), this species may be confused with our native species. To identify Z. insularum, look for wider leaves and three inner petals that are shorter than the three to four outer petals. Contextual clues are also helpful, as this species primarily blooms in summer and is relatively uncommon.