How much sun does it need to flower? If you water regularly, you can place these throughout your yard. Crinum powellii (Swamp Lily Hybrid / Cape Lily Hybrid), photograph by eonora (Ellie) Enking; CC. The crinum lily is a tropical plant that can be found in many home gardens. They can take months to come up, so you have to be careful with overwatering. I'm saddened every time I drive by the Columbia Museum of Art, where a landscape architect put our crinum in deep shade. Hi Jan just keep them damp, to avoid shrivelling, and move them to the light spot when they have sprouted. If you live in zone 8 or 9, you may need to prepare your plants for overwintering. These gorgeous lilies occur naturally all over the world. Finally, those long leaves are appealing to bothslugsandsnails. Dig a hole six inches deeper than the neckline, place the bulb in the bottom, and cover it with soil. Crinums produce multitudes of trumpet shaped flowers that range in size and color. Plant these bulblets immediately to prevent them from drying out using the compost-enhanced soil. Thanks, Jean, I have recently started to propagate crinum from collected tubers. cheers, Jan Hintze. Be aware that it may take a few years for the plants to re-flower when planted from offshoot bulbs, plant divisions will bloom more quickly. Load More. Store in jars, envelopes, or paper bags (not plastic) to plant in November. If youd prefer a liquid, opt for a half-strength liquid fertilizer. During the rest of the year, it can be drier. North of Zone 7, dig, dry, and store crinum bulbs indoors over winter. However, some cold-hardy crinums withstand frigid winters. After a week or so, leaves and roots will develop, and the bulbils continue to grow. When grown in pots in colder zones, they should be moved to a sheltered area or indoors for the winter. They have lily like flowers of red, pink, or white. The plants should be spaced between 45 cm (18 inches; small species) to 80 cm (32 inches; large species), and grown in a sunny area of the garden. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. They are equally at home in dry sandy soils and on moist pond banks. The most cold-hardy crinum species is the orange river lily (Crinum bulbispermum), which is native to South Africa and is hardy to USDA zone 7. The plants are generally deer-resistant. Im not interested in propagating or having more than what I already have. The crinum lily is a member of the Amaryllis family and produces a bulbil, growing on the stem at the base where the flower sprouted. Zones 8-11, Crinum americanum offers white spider-like petals that droop from a central stem. Some crinum lilies are native to the Americas, while others are found in the wild in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and Australia. Please advise me your opinion. Plant them away from areas where children play. When shes not writing and editing, youll find her swimming, running, or hiking. The grasshoppers wont survive. Keep soils moist and fertilize regularly during the growing season. This lily has grown well in 8b for several years and easily survived the harsh freezes of the 2017/18 winter. The flowers, which are often scented particularly at night, are usually white, but can be pink or pink/red striped on white. Eco-Neem oil is a good way of controlling them. In another 4 to 6 weeks, small green shoots will emerge. Wishing you a lovely day, Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool , Everglades NPS, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons, Izziekins, CC SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Tatiana Gerus, CC SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, University of Florida IFAS Extension: Crinums, Missouri Botanical Garden: Crinum (group), Missouri Botanical Garden: Crinum americanum, Missouri Botanical Garden: Crinum bulbispermum, Missouri Botanical Garden: Crinum asiaticum. Right about now, I'm guessing you're wondering why you'd want to grow a poisonous plant. 2023 Jenks Farmer. Of course, there are some crinums that don't make real bulbs at all but grow more like a banana, making a "trunk" of leaves. Once the temperature dips below the 40s at night, you run the risk of the leaves becoming cold-damaged. Half the leaves should be removed, starting from the outside. Crinum lily has been a Southern favorite for yearsadd them to your garden lineup. Not only do they provide daytime cover that the slimies can hide in, but they taste good too. In most areas, they can be planted starting in April through October. Its actually because most crinums dont produce seeds in favor of bulbils. That line is the transition point from white to green. These bulbs flower during the summer months. Do I dry them in the greenhouse or in a cooler location. I try to keep them moist but now I notice the brown cover is coming off of one. Be aware that Crinum lilies grow about 120 cm high and 2 m wide so you need a deal of space for them. Flower stalks emerge above 2- to 5-foot-tall arching straplike green leaves. They are actually a type of tuber, not a seed capsule, so dont try to open them to see what is inside. While Crinum asiaticum is native to northern Australia I do not think it is native to sub-tropical northern NSW (though Im not 100% on that one). If so do I need to dust the cuts with anything. https://www.plantdelights.com/collections/crinum. My understanding is that the seedpod is left on the tree until it shatters and scatters the seeds which are then sown fresh. I am in 8B Regular irrigation through the first transplant season will be essential to reestablishment of the planting. Thanks so much for your answers. They're suffering. Check the stem right down to the base where it emerges from between the leaves. In about 1 to 2 weeks, the bulbil will sprout a single leaf to begin photosynthesizing on its own. If the area is dry, water a few days ahead or dig a few days after a rain. Can I remove the stalks at the dirt level without damaging the plant itself? However, their leaves tend to attract grasshoppers. Mulching around your plants can help keep the soil moist for longer periods of time. I have worked with these lilies on many garden projects and love to see them growing together in groups provided they have the proper spacing which is 4-6 ft. Pick them off and drop them in a container of soapy water. As they come from the tropical parts of the Caribbean, they germinate better with some bottom heat from a heat mat but arent that easy to get going. How we start Milk and Wine Lily, (Crinum bulbispermum) from seed. All Rights Reserved. As you discovered, it takes several years to reach maturity and begin blooming. Keep the soil moist after the scapes drop. Members of the Crinum family are not the easiest to look after. I loved your article. Trim back the leaves to the ground as the weather gets cool. I suspect that, since you dont mention that the plant is suffering, that something like a caterpillar, or beetle, has damaged the base of the flower stem, which has stopped the transmission of water and nutrients to the flower buds, hence they have wilted and died. These huge leafy plants emerge from gigantic pest-resistant bulbs and are rarely bothered by deer and rodents. Crinum asiaticum (Giant Crinum Lily / Spider Lily / Poison bulb), photograph by Forest and Kim Starr; CC. Crinum lilies feature beautiful spidery flowers. Repot into a container that is large enough to allow for growth. You may already be familiar with seed and division methods, but many crinums also have a unique method: bulbils. Jenks Farmer, the Guru of Crinums from Columbia, South Carolina, says to first find the "neckline" of the bulb the point where its color transitions from white to green. Having become well-adapted to swamplike terrain, many crinums have developed a hardier alternative to seeds called bulbils. J. I have found that my crinums will not bloom unless they get a lot of water. Most of the material I have available to me is for the Northern Territory. For my crinums, I like to use a slow-release, balanced granular fertilizer. Some represent a single species, but most that you encounter are hybrids of different species. Crinums accumulate an abundance of foliage which quickly spreads through the production of pups. Learn about crinum lily division here. Thanks! Water the pot and place a clear plastic baggie over the top to keep warmth and humidity in. Our booklets, Gardening with Crinum Lilies offer tons of insight on how to successfully use crinums. Crinum commonly called milk-and-wine lilies-are tender perennials grown for their showy umbels of usually funnel or bell-shaped white flowers that resemble lilies. They may be affected by powdery mildew in warm, humid conditions. Gently lift the entire plant from the ground. What on earth are Crinum bulbils you say well they are the strange lumpy things that form on the flower heads after the flowers are finished. Crinum lily is not tolerant of freezing weather! A drive through rural areas may reveal century old crinum lilies in aged cemeteries or abandoned farmsteads. The soil shouldnt be too packed on top, just firm enough that it doesnt wash away with watering. Fill in around it with soil. In cooler climates, this plant should be brought indoors before cooler weather arrives. Work it lightly into the soil. Thanks for your great article. Hi Crystal, thanks to Catherine for talking to you about Cordia sebestena not in my knowledge at all. Crinum lilies are evergreen in their hardiness zones; they retain their foliage year-round. If youre in a particularly hot climate, consider 4-6 hours of direct sun and a couple hours of partial shade. Zones 9-11. Only fertilize it once early in the fall, and skip the winter entirely. Once cut you should only have a thin piece of layer on the bulb. Light levels dont really matter too much until after the bulbil has sprouted, when it needs light to activate the chlorophyll and the photosynthesis cycle. Break apart or cut sections that contain one or more pups and immediately replant the sections in a prepared area of the garden. She has a bachelors degree in English and a masters degree in magazine writing from the University of Missouri - Columbia. The hardiest, Crinum bulbispermum, shown below, is fully hardy in USDA Zone 6A, and is reported to have survived -20 degrees. I am trying to determine whether the bulbs that I have here are Crinum asiaticum or Crinum asiaticum var. It can be really helpful to remove the outermost leaves on bulbs that are moved indoors. This species usually produces white flowers. As tender perennial bulbs, crinum lilies are most common in Southern gardens. Outdoor plants spread in the garden by suckers to form substantial clumps. Read about our, 11 Tropical Houseplants You Can Grow for Their Fabulous Flowers, How to Plant and Grow Lily-of-the-Valley Shrub, Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom, Winter Bloom, Winter Interest, Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance. PlantCrinuminhumus-rich, well-drained, moistsoil. Crinum pedunculatum is native here. It isnt a good idea to keep them for too long, since they dont have much in the line of protective covering, as does a seed, for instance, but you could keep them for a few weeks until you are ready to plant them. They're the perfect plant for just about any garden. If the core of the bulb hasnt been damaged, then it will probably shoot you could seal any cut surface with a fungicide power or a yellow sulphur powder (which is less poisonous and available from a pharmacy). They really need to be grown in pretty well full sun, but the larger the plant gets, the more it shades itself. Ensure your soil is well-draining to prevent this problem by adding sand or perlite. Crinum plants suffer from a few pests, some of which are fatal, so worthwhile checking regularly for damage. Before separating crinum lilies and pups, you will need a quality pair of gloves and sharp garden tools. We recommend our users to update the browser. These may need more water during the hottest times of year. You are looking for either a broken stem or a large chunk eaten out of it. Propagating crinum lilies is fairly easy, depending on the method, and there are three different methods you can choose from. Crinums flower quite readily in semi shade, with full sun in the morning or late afternoon. 13 min read Crinum lily plants are poisonous. Propagate by offsets, division or seed. For more information, look at the individual product description on the bulb you bought, found on this website. The leaves are quite healthy but still no flowers? They are dark brown (I saw many bright green ones but I opted to get these as they were already on the ground and had a small string, which seemed to be a root, but maybe isnt because it looks nothing like the root in your photos). Which direction faces up in the bulbil, when planting it; and how deeply does it need to be planted, when waiting for it to sprout? Failure to germinate may be because the seed wasnt fresh enough. They are a very cunning method of propagation which is relatively common amongst the Crinum genus, as well as some other types of bulbs. Mix 2 to 3 inches of compost into excavated soil to have it ready. Pull out spent flower stems at the base so the plant redirects its energy into next year's blooms, rather than setting seed. So now I have lots of crinum bulbs, and an excellent spring fed swampy area that they would do well in, but I will only plant them there if they are native to this region. One started to flower, and had 3 buds that looked like they would soon open, but then they suddenly wilted and died. Crinum Lily spreads in large clumps and needs lots of room to grow. Find more lilies to add to your garden with our guide to the 10beautiful lily flowers to love.