When in full bloom, spindly stamens, likened to the image of spider legs, extend slightly upward and outward from the flower's center.

[6] The flowers of the plant generally appear around late August to early September, before the leaves fully develop, on scapes rising 30–70 centimetres (12–28 in) from the ground.

[8] The leaves, which tend to emerge in October, are a greyish-green color, parallel-sided, 0.5–1 cm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) wide and feature a paler central stripe.

[10] The plant was first introduced into the United States in 1854 following the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa, a peace treaty brokered between the United States of America and Japan which effectively opened up Japanese ports for trade with the U.S.[11] It is alleged that Captain William Roberts, a botany enthusiast and an ally of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry of the U.S Navy, returned to the U.S with only three bulbs of the red spider lily from this travels abroad.

Today, red spider lilies are appreciated as ornamental and medicinal plants in various countries all across Asia, Europe and in the United States.

In warm-summer climates such as the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains, where there is sufficient summer heat to harden off the bulbs, the plants are hardy to around −18 °C (0 °F).

[5] L. radiata plants also contain the alkaloid galantamine, which has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USDA) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Plants of the amaryllis family are all known to contain varying quantities of naturally occurring galantamine, and the compound can be extracted in trace amounts from the leaves and roots of L. radiata, but is most abundant within the bulbs.

[16] The Japanese common name for Lycoris radiata, higanbana (ヒガンバナ, 彼岸花),[17] literally means "flower of higan (Buddhist holiday around the autumnal equinox.

[5] In accordance with established traditions, many practitioners of Buddhism in Japan will celebrate the arrival of fall with a ceremony at the tombs of their ancestors.

In order to pay tribute to the dead, red spider lilies are commonly planted on and around grave sites as a part of this ceremonial practice.

Mock Joya relates their association with Japanese Christian martyrs in medieval times; their places of martyrdom were said to be marked by these flowers.