Photo: Ernst Gügel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Bulb or tuber · Liliaceae
Giant Himalayan lily
Cardiocrinum giganteum
In other languages: Reuzenlelie (Nederlands) · Lis géant de l’Himalaya (Français)
The giant Himalayan lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum, is one of the most impressive plants you can grow in a garden. For a few years the large bulb produces only a rosette of glossy, heart-shaped leaves. Once the bulb is big enough, a stem shoots up in a single spring to 2 and sometimes 3 metres, carrying in June–July up to twenty large, white trumpet flowers with a purple-red throat. In the evening they release a heavy, sweet scent. After flowering the main bulb dies, but its offsets take over.
Light
Partial shade or shade
tolerates little sun
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Loam or peat
acid to neutral
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -20 °C
Size
2.5 m
tall, 0.6 m wide
Flowering
June–July
| Height | 2.5 m |
|---|---|
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
| Flowering | June–July |
Identify
Giant Himalayan lily: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- Rosette of glossy leaves, with a stem 1.5–3 m tall in the flowering year.
- Leaf
- Large, broadly heart-shaped, glossy dark green, up to 45 cm long.
- Flower
- Up to 20 trumpet flowers 15–20 cm long, white with a purple-red throat, hanging to horizontal.
- Flowering
- June and July, only after 3–7 years from seed or 1–3 years from a large bulb.
- Life cycle
- The bulb flowers once and then dies; the offsets grow into flowering-size bulbs within a few years.
Flowering: June–July · Plants: March and October–November
In your garden
Why grow it?
- A spectacular sight: metre-high stems with large white trumpets.
- A wonderful, heavy scent, especially on warm summer evenings.
- A real centrepiece for a shady woodland garden.
- Glossy, heart-shaped leaves that look good even without flowers.
- Offsets remain after flowering, so planting bulbs of different ages can give you flowers every year.
Giant Himalayan lily: where does it grow best?
- Part shade to light shade, for example under tall trees.
- Deep, loose, humus-rich soil: woodland soil or loam with plenty of leaf mould.
- Evenly moist, but without wet feet.
- Sheltered from wind, which can snap the tall stem, and from harsh midday sun.
- Allow 60 cm of space per bulb.
- Light
- Partial shade and shade
- Soil type
- Loam or peat
- Acidity
- Acid or neutral
- Moisture
- Normal
- Size
- 2.5 m tall, 0.6 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -20 °C)
Goes well with
- Hosta: Large leaves on the ground beneath the tall stem.
- Ferns: Fine texture in the same moist shade.
- Rhododendron: A green backdrop that makes the white flowers glow.
- Japanese maple: An elegant tree that gives part shade.
- Bergenia: Large evergreen leaves at its feet.
Maintenance
Giant Himalayan lily: when and how to plant it?
Plant in March and October–November.
- Plant the bulb in March or in October–November.
- Plant shallowly: the tip of the bulb just below or level with the soil surface.
- Dig a generous hole and mix in plenty of leaf mould and well-rotted manure or compost.
- Plant bulbs of different sizes so that a different one flowers each year.
- Mark the spot and mulch with a thick layer of leaf mould.
Care
- Water
- Keep the soil moist in spring and summer; water in dry spells.
- Feeding
- A hungry plant: give well-rotted manure or compost every spring and a mulch of leaf mould.
- Mulching
- A thick layer of leaf mould in autumn protects and feeds the shallow bulb.
- Support
- Usually not needed, but in a windy spot you can tie the stem to a cane.
- Slugs
- Protect the young leaves in spring: slugs love them.
Tip: Plant bulbs of different sizes together: then almost every year one will flower while the others build up strength.
Giant Himalayan lily: when to prune it?
When: No pruning is needed.
How:
- Leave the stem after flowering if you want to collect seed; the large seed pods are decorative too.
- Cut the dead stem off in autumn if you do not want to keep it.
Caution: Do not cut the leaves while they are green: the offsets need them to build up strength.
Propagation
- Offsets
- After flowering, in autumn, lift the offsets from the dead main bulb and replant them shallowly; they flower after 3–5 years.
- Sowing
- Sow fresh seed in autumn in a deep pot outdoors; it germinates slowly and plants flower only after 5–7 years.
Giant Himalayan lily: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −20 °C.
- Hardy to about −20 °C, but the young shoots in spring are sensitive to night frost.
- Protect the emerging rosette in March–April from night frost with fleece or straw.
- A thick mulch of leaf mould protects the shallow bulb.
- In winter there is little or nothing to see above ground.
Diseases and pests
- Slug damage: On the young leaves in spring. Protect with a slug collar or ferric phosphate.
- Frosted shoots: Caused by late night frost. Cover the rosette when frost is forecast.
- Lily beetle: A red beetle that eats leaves and flowers. Pick off the beetles and larvae by hand.
- No flowers: Normal in the first years; the bulb must grow big enough first. Feed well.
Through the year
- March: Plant bulbs. Protect young shoots from night frost and slugs.
- April: Feed with manure or compost. Frost protection at night.
- May: The flower stem shoots up. Water in dry spells.
- June: Flowering. Scent on warm evenings.
- July: Flowering ends. Watch for lily beetle.
- September: Seed pods ripen.
- October: Lift and replant offsets. Plant new bulbs.
- November: Mulch with a thick layer of leaf mould.
You and this species
Did you know?
- In the Himalaya, the hollow, dead stems were used as flutes or as containers.
- A mature bulb can weigh more than a kilo and flowers only once in its life.