Lilium leichtlinii
At a glance
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −28.9 °C
Cultivation
Requires a light humus-rich acid soil and plenty of moisture in late spring. Plants are best grown in a greenhouse border in Britain. This species could be one of the parents of L. lancifolium. Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted 15cm deep. It is said that this species is very difficult to grow. The plant should be protected against rabbits and slugs in early spring. If the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour.
Propagation
Seed - immediate epigeal germination. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people prefer to leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant[K]. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out.
Edible uses
Bulb - cooked. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).
Habitat
Humus-rich soils in river valleys and amongst grass on hills.
Native range
E. Asia - Japan.