Royalty free photos by Mike1 – No. 45
Crinum lily blossoms, west-central Arkansas, July 2, 2018.
Crinum Lilies Just Won’t Die2
Many types of crinum lilies exist, native to the warmer parts of the Americas and Africa. Some represent a single species, but most that you encounter are hybrids of different species. In general, they combine bold, fragrant flowers with handsome, straplike foliage and a bulldog constitution. Classic passalong plants in the South, they survive untended for decade upon decade in cemeteries, old home sites, and country gardens, blooming year after year.
How do they do this? First, they tolerate many soils, from wet to well-drained to dry (although blooming is often spurred by spring and summer downpours). Second, many crinums grow into large clumps of absolutely enormous bulbs that store food reserves. This means that can they weather long stretches of drought and utter neglect and then bloom when conditions improve. It also means that, unlike most plants, you can dig, transplant, share (and ship) crinums just about any time without killing them.
Photo shared as public domain on Pixabay and Flickr as “Crinum Lilies.”
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- Southern Living – accessed August 4, 2018
