Practical
Plants

Hesperocallis undulata

Desert Lily

a member of the Hesperocallis genus in the family Agavaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Agavaceae
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.15 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Bulb - raw or cooked[5][10][2][3][8]. The bulbs can be baked or boiled[8]. Quite large, the bulb is up to 5cm in diameter[10] and is found up to 50cm below soil level[7].

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
South-western N. America,
Habitat
Dry sandy flats and gentle slopes below 750 metres in deserts and creosote bush scrub[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in late winter or as soon as ripe in a deep pot in a very free draining compost in a greenhouse. Sow the seed thinly so that it does not have to be pricked out, and grow the young seedlings on without disturbance for their first 2 years - give them very little water during their dormant period, merely making sure that the compost does not dry out completely. Divide the young bulbs up into individual deep pots when they have completed their second growing season and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least another year before planting them out during their dormant period.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a very well-drained soil in a sunny position[6]. Plants are intolerant of temperatures below freezing, especially if this is coupled with wetness[6]. The bulbs like plenty of moisture when in growth in the spring[4] but must be kept dry when they are dormant[6]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it is best grown in a cold greenhouse or treated as a half-hardy annual[1], though they can succeed outdoors in very sheltered parts of south-west Britain[7]. Plants are very difficult to induce into flower in Britain and are best grown in a greenhouse in almost pure sand with some leafmold. Water should be withheld in the summer[9]. The flowers open in the evening and scent the air around them[7]. Bulbs are often found at a great depth in the soil[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  9. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

    ↩

  10. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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