Question

weed or Flower   This weed/flower comes up each year in my back yard. It had very little foliage and a small clump or 4 or 5 come up. They are much smaller and shorter but they have a similar appearance in the way they manifest themselves to the way a surprise lily comes up. Strangely, it is in the same place where a possum died in my yard and I thought it could have come from something the animal had eaten ? Please help, the flower is very delicate and beautiful !!

Answer
Hi Connie,

That is a cultivated bulb (lycoris radiata).  Most people call them "spider lilies".  The flower comes up first, then dies and a clump of lily type leaves appear.  My mom called them "Naked Ladies" - because they bloom without their "clothes" on.  
I doubt that Opossum ate it, as the bulb is toxic, but they get around just fine by themselves.  It's not uncommon in Southern lawns, roadsides, fields.
They bloom mid-sept. to early Oct.  If it's in a spot where it's not wanted, wait until the leaves begin to turn yellow before you move it, or it won't bloom next year.  There are also other cultivars that are pink, yellow, orange, etc.
Thanks,
Susan