Persian lily

Persian lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

An upright bulb 60–90 cm tall and about 20 cm wide.

Leaves

Narrowly lance-shaped, blue-green to grey-green, arranged spirally along the stem.

Flowers

A long spike of small, nodding bells 1.5–2 cm long, in April and May.

Colour

Dark purple-brown with a grey bloom; greenish white in ‘Ivory Bells’.

Bulb

Large and white, made of fleshy scales without a protective tunic; fragile and quick to dry out.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–October

Why grow it?

• A slender, striking vertical line in the spring border.
• An unusual colour: dark purple-brown or greenish white, lovely next to tulips and lime-green foliage.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the nodding bells.
• An unusual cut flower for a restrained arrangement.
• Tolerates drought in summer, when the bulb is resting.

Persian lily: where does it grow best?

• Full sun, in a warm, sheltered spot, for example in front of a south-facing wall.
• Very well-drained sandy or light loamy soil, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to normally moist; in summer the bulb needs to rest warm and dry.
• Sheltered from strong wind, which can snap the tall stems.
• Plant 20–30 cm apart, in groups of three to five.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Spurge: Its lime-green leaves and yellow flower heads make the dark bells stand out.
• Tulips: Pink, orange or white tulips flowering among the slender stems.
• Ornamental onion: Flowers a little later and likes the same warm, dry spot.
• Ornamental grasses: Fine stems as a soft backdrop.
• Catmint: Fills the empty space in summer with blue flowers.

Persian lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–October.

1. Plant the bulbs in September–October, as soon as possible after buying: they dry out quickly.
2. Dig a hole 15–20 cm deep and put a few centimetres of coarse sand or grit in the bottom.
3. Set the bulb on that layer, pointed end up, and surround it with a little sand.
4. Fill the hole with soil and firm lightly.
5. Only water if the soil is very dry.
6. Mark the spot so you do not damage the bulb when working in the border.

Care

Watering

Rarely needed; only in a very dry spring while it is growing. Keep dry in summer.

Feeding

In March, when the shoot appears, a little high-potash fertiliser or compost.

Support

In a windy spot, put a thin cane next to the stem, without touching the bulb.

Spent flowers

Cut off the faded spike if you do not want seed, but leave the stem and leaves.

Cut flower

Cut the stem when the lowest bells are open. Every stem you cut weakens the bulb, so take only a few.

Tip: Plant the bulb on a layer of coarse sand or grit in the warmest spot in your garden: a warm, dry summer rest is the secret of generous flowering.

Persian lily: when to prune it?

When: The Persian lily is not pruned. You only cut off the faded spike after flowering and later the dead stem.

How:

• Cut off the faded spike just below the lowest flower if you do not want seed.
• Leave the stem and its leaves until they are yellow and dry in June.
• Then cut the dead stem off just above the ground.

Caution: Never cut the stem while it is still green: without leaves the bulb cannot build up reserves and will not flower the next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Offsets

After a few years the bulb forms small offsets. In July, when the leaves have died back, carefully detach them and replant straight away, or pot them up in sandy compost. They take a few years to flower.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn in a pot of sandy seed compost and leave it outdoors. It takes many years before seedlings flower.

Persian lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C: in well-drained soil it survives most Belgian winters.
• Cold, wet soil is the greatest danger, as the bulb then rots. Make sure drainage is good.
• The young shoot appears early; in late night frosts a fleece or a little straw protects it.
• In a pot: use a deep pot with sandy compost, keep it sheltered and, in severe frost, move it to an unheated garage or shed.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: A bright red beetle that, together with its larvae, eats the leaves from April onwards. Pick off beetles and larvae.
• Bulb rot: The bulb rots in wet, heavy soil. Plant on a layer of grit or choose a higher, drier spot.
• No flowers: The bulb only makes leaves if it is too small, too wet or does not ripen well in a cool summer. Give it a warm, dry spot and a little high-potash fertiliser.
• Snapped stems: Caused by wind or heavy rain. Add a thin cane and choose a sheltered spot.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots. Pick them off in the evening.

Through the year

• March: The shoot comes up. Give high-potash fertiliser. Watch out for slugs.
• April: In flower. Watch out for lily beetles; add a cane if needed.
• May: In flower. Cut off faded spikes if you do not want seed.
• June: Stem and leaves turn yellow; cut them off afterwards.
• July: Rest: keep dry. Detach offsets.
• September: Plant bulbs on a layer of coarse sand or grit.
• October: Plant the last bulbs.
• December: Resting underground. Avoid wet spots.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of fritillaries, such as snake’s head fritillary and crown imperial, are poisonous, especially the bulbs: they contain alkaloids that can cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. The bulbs have no protective papery skin: bare and white or yellowish, they can be mistaken for onions or garlic, although the crown imperial bulb has a strong foxy smell. So never store them with the kitchen onions, plant them as soon as you buy them (they dry out quickly), and do not leave loose bulbs lying where dogs or cats could chew them. Wear gloves when planting and when cutting the stems, and wash your hands afterwards. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Fritillaria comes from the Latin fritillus, a dice cup; it refers to the chequered pattern on the flowers of the snake’s head fritillary.
• The Persian lily has been grown in European gardens since the 16th century.
• The bells on a spike open from the bottom upwards, so flowering lasts several weeks.