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Lilium species - .

Author	.	Botanical references
Family	Liliaceae	Genus	Lilium
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	A group of garden hybrids of uncertain parentage.
Habitat	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 1m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root.

Bulb - cooked. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes. The flavour can range from very mild to very bitter[K]

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun[200]. Protect against slugs in early spring, if the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour[200]. Bulbs are best planted out into their permanent positions in early to mid-autumn in cool temperate zones and up to late autumn in warmer areas, this allows them to become established before new top growth commences in spring[200].

Propagation

Seed. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. The seed should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks[163]. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people prefer to leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant[K]. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately[200]. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out[200].

Cultivars

No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[163] RHS Lily Group. Lilies and Related Plants. 0
Lots of interesting snippets about plants in the family Liliaceae (in the old, broad sense)

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Lilium species

Angela Gnyp Tue Mar 6 2007

de Florum Informative site on Lilium species with photographs and background on the genus.

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