Japanese lily

Japanese lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright bulbous plant about 1.2 m tall and 30 cm wide, with a sturdy stem.

Leaves

Broadly lance-shaped, glossy dark green, scattered along the stem.

Flower

Large, strongly recurved flowers in a cluster at the top of the stem, from August to September.

Colour

White to pink, with deeper pink spots and raised red-pink dots in the throat.

Scent

Heavy and sweet; especially strong in the evening.

Flowering: August–September · Plants: March–April and October–November

Why grow it?

• Flowers late, in August–September, when many other lilies have finished.
• Strongly scented white-pink flowers with striking raised dots in the throat.
• Hardy to about −20 °C and can stay in the ground or in a pot for many years.
• Excellent cut flower: a few stems scent the whole room.
• Suits a border with acid soil and is ideal in a pot on the terrace.

Japanese lily: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; the flowers want plenty of light, the base likes shade and a cool soil.
• Acid to neutral, humus-rich soil: sandy, loamy or peaty. It does not tolerate lime.
• Normally moist: the soil must not dry out, but standing water makes the bulb rot.
• Sheltered from strong wind and late spring frost, as the shoots appear early.
• Plant the bulbs 30 cm apart, in groups of three to five.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.2 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Rhododendron: Likes the same acid soil; the lily flowers when the rhododendron has finished.
• Hydrangea: Flowers at the same time in blue and pink next to the scented lily.
• Ferns: Keep the base cool and moist.
• Hosta: Broad leaves at the base keep the soil cool.

Japanese lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in October–November or March–April; autumn planting gives the best roots.
2. Dig a hole 15–20 cm deep and mix the soil with leaf mould; in chalky soil, choose a pot.
3. Set the bulb upright, on a thin layer of sand against rot, 30 cm apart.
4. Cover with soil and water well, preferably with rainwater.
5. In a pot: 30 cm wide, with holes in the bottom, filled with ericaceous compost (for heather and rhododendron) mixed with a little perlite.

Care

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist, especially from May to September. Preferably use rainwater, as tap water is often too chalky.

Feeding

In spring, a little compost or fertiliser for acid-loving plants. No lime-containing fertilisers.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or pine bark keeps the soil cool, moist and acid.

Support

A bamboo cane next to the stem prevents the heavy flower clusters from falling over.

Spent flowers

Cut them off, but leave the stem and leaves until they turn yellow: they feed the bulb.

Tip: It dislikes lime: grow it in acid, humus-rich soil or in a pot with ericaceous compost, and water with rainwater. Plant 15–20 cm deep, as it also forms roots on the stem.

Japanese lily: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is not needed. Cut off spent flowers and remove the stems only when they are completely withered, in November.

How:

• Cut off spent flowers just below the flower.
• Leave the stem and leaves until they turn yellow: they feed the bulb.
• Cut the withered stem off just above the ground or compost.

Caution: Never cut a green stem too early: the bulb needs the leaves to recharge for next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Scales

In autumn, snap a few healthy scales off the bulb and place them in moist sand or perlite in a plastic bag at room temperature; new bulblets form after a few weeks.

Division

Divide crowded clumps in October–November and replant the small bulbs at once at 15–20 cm.

Seed

Sow in spring in pots; seedlings take several years to flower.

Japanese lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C in Belgium: no protection needed if the soil is free-draining.
• Cover the bulb with a 5–10 cm layer of leaf mould or dry leaves; the shoots appear early, so protect them in a late frost.
• In a pot: place the pot in a sheltered, dry spot against a wall, wrap it in hessian and do not let it stand in water.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: A bright red beetle and slimy larvae (covered in their own droppings) eat the leaves from April to July. Hand-picking is the best remedy.
• Botrytis: Brown spots on leaves and buds in wet weather. Cut off affected leaves, leave space between plants and do not water over the foliage.
• Yellow leaves from lime: Yellow leaves with green veins indicate lime-induced chlorosis. Use ericaceous compost and rainwater.
• Bulb rot: In wet soil the bulbs rot. Plant in free-draining soil and mix clay with sand.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Young shoots appear: cover in late frost.
• April: Plant. Apply compost. Watch for lily beetles.
• May: Water in dry spells. Keep slugs away.
• June: Buds form. Put supports in place.
• July: Buds swell. Feed with fertiliser for acid-loving plants.
• August: Flowering begins. Cut flowers for the vase.
• September: Flowering. Cut off spent flowers.
• October: Plant. Put the pot in a sheltered spot.
• November: Plant. Cut off withered stems. Mulch with leaf mould.
• December: Resting underground.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Lilies are life-threatening to cats: every part, even the pollen and the water in the vase, causes acute kidney failure in very small amounts, which is often fatal without prompt treatment. A little pollen licked off the fur can be enough. If your cat has been at a lily or has pollen on its coat, call your vet at once, even if it shows no signs yet. Do not bring cut lilies into the house if you have a cat (removing the stamens is not enough) and do not plant them where cats often go. For children and dogs lilies are far less dangerous, but they can still cause stomach upsets. Do not confuse them with daylilies (Hemerocallis), whose buds and flowers are edible (though they too are dangerous to cats): never eat a true lily. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The plant was brought from Japan to Europe in the 19th century and is one of the parents of the Oriental hybrids.
• The species name speciosum means ‘showy’ or ‘magnificent’, after its striking flowers.
• It flowers so late that it extends the lily season in the garden into September.