Triplet lily

Triplet lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Corm about 50 cm tall and 10 cm wide, with slender, upright flower stems.

Leaves

Two to four grass-like leaves at the base, 30–40 cm long. They die back already during flowering.

Flower

Loose umbel of ten to thirty funnel-shaped flowers of 2.5–4 cm, in June and July. Violet-blue with a darker midrib.

Corm

Small, round and flattened, about 2–3 cm, with a brown tunic. Forms cormlets over time.

Cut flower

The stems are sturdy and last well: cut them when the first flowers open.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• An airy, violet-blue flower that blooms in June and July, when the spring flowers are already over.
• Lovely as a cut flower: the loose umbels last well in a bouquet.
• A summer source of nectar and pollen for bees.
• Fits among other summer flowers, in a dry or gravel border and in a pot.
• Little work: it only asks for sun, good drainage and a dry summer rest.

Triplet lily: where does it grow best?

• Full sun in a warm spot, for example in a dry border or a gravel garden.
• Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky. On heavy soil mix in sand or grit.
• Dry to normally moist; in summer after flowering the soil must stay dry.
• Leave 8–10 cm between corms; plant them in groups of at least 10–25 among other plants that hide the dying leaves.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.1 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -10 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Ornamental onion: Ball-shaped flowers in the same weeks and in the same sunny, dry soil.
• Fescue: A fine ornamental grass that hides the dying leaves and keeps the border airy.
• Catmint: Pale blue flowers and grey-green leaves in the same sun and dryness.
• Rock rose: A low carpet at its foot in a dry, sunny border.

Triplet lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant the corms from September to November, as soon as you can buy them.
2. Choose a sunny spot with very free-draining soil; mix sand or grit into the planting hole if needed.
3. Plant them about 8–10 cm deep, pointed end up.
4. Space them 8–10 cm apart, in small groups among other plants.
5. Water once generously after planting and cover lightly with leaves or compost in November.

Care

Water

In spring water during dry spells while the leaves grow. After flowering no more: the corm rests through a dry summer.

Feeding

Little needed. In spring perhaps a little compost or a light feed for bulbs.

Foliage

The leaves die back already during flowering. That is normal and not a disease.

Spent flowers

Cut the stems after flowering unless you want seed.

Winter cover

A thin layer of leaves or compost in November protects the corms from frost.

Tip: Plant it among other plants, because the leaves die back already during flowering. It wants a dry summer rest and good drainage: mix sand into the soil and stop watering after flowering.

Triplet lily: when to prune it?

When: Triteleia is not pruned. You only cut off spent stems and dead leaves.

How:

• Cut stems for a bouquet when the first flowers open.
• Cut off spent stems if you do not want seed.
• Clear away the dead leaves when they are dry and come away by themselves.

Caution: Do not cut off the leaves while they are still green; they die back by themselves and are then easily hidden by neighbouring plants.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cormlets

Lift dense clumps in August–September, when the leaves have died back. Detach the cormlets and replant them straight away, 8–10 cm deep.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn in a pot of sandy compost in a cold frame or outdoors. Seedlings flower after a few years.

Triplet lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Hardy down to about −10 °C: in Belgium it usually survives winter if the soil is well drained.
• Wet winters are more dangerous than frost. In severe frost add an extra layer of dry leaves or conifer branches.
• In a pot: stand it in a sheltered spot in winter, protected from rain, so the compost does not become waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Dying leaves: The leaves vanish already during flowering. That is normal. Plant it among other plants that hide them.
• Corm rot: Corms turn soft in wet soil. Plant in free-draining soil and avoid water after flowering.
• Slugs: They nibble young shoots and leaves in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• No flowers: Too little sun, corms that are too small, or a wet winter. Choose a sunny, dry spot and leave the corms alone.

Through the year

• March: The first leaf tips appear.
• April: The leaves grow. Water in dry spells.
• May: Flower stems grow. Watch for slugs.
• June: Flowering begins. Cut stems for a bouquet.
• July: Full flower. The leaves die back.
• August: Summer rest: keep dry. Divide clumps if needed.
• September: Plant or move, 8–10 cm deep.
• October: Plant. The roots develop.
• November: Last chance to plant. Cover lightly.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Triteleia comes from the Greek: tri (three) and teleios (perfect). The flower parts come in threes.
• In North America it is called ‘Ithuriel’s spear’, after the spear of the angel Ithuriel in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’.
• In the wild it grows in California and Oregon, with wet winters and dry summers; that is why it wants a dry summer rest here.