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Autumn Rain-lily

Zephyranthes candida, Amaryllidaceae

Sources last read 13 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called autumn zephyrlily, Fairy Lily, Peruvian Swamp-lily, Rain Lily, sea onion, summer crocus, white zephyr lily and Zephyr Flower.

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Autumn Rain-lily is toxic

  • Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Toxic to people. The bulbs are ornamental and should not be eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS

What the sources say about its care

Light
Full sun
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Well-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H3 — -5 to 1°C -5 to 1 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
The bulbs are ornamental and should not be eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Propagation
Seed
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Sow seed with moderate heat once ripe. In spring separate offsets.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Pruning is not needed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Usually free of pests and diseases.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

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About the plant

Zephyranthes candida, with common names that include autumn zephyrlily, white windflower, white rain lily, and Peruvian swamp lily, is a species of rain lily native to South America including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil. The species is widely cultivated as an ornamental and reportedly naturalized in many places.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
SE. & S. Brazil to NE. Argentina
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
South America
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
South America
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Climate
subtropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
bulbous geophyte
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Annual, Bulb, Perennial; habit clumping
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Tufted (deciduous)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 6–12 in; width 6–12 in
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0-0.1 metre after 2–5 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers white; blooms in fall, summer
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Flowers white in summer and autumn
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Other Zephyranthes

More of the Amaryllidaceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.