Lilium amabile
a member of the Lilium genus in the family Liliaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Bulb - cooked[2][7]. It can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes. Flower buds - cooked[2][6][7]. Young shoots - cooked[2][6][7]. Eating the young shoots will prevent the bulb from growing any more in that year with a consequent loss of vigour or even the death of the plant, so is not to be recommended[K].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - Korea
- Habitat
- Limestone formations[4].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - immediate epigeal germination[3]. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks[5]. 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[8]. 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[8].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun[8]. Plants are probably lime tolerant[4][5][8]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Does well in limy soils and also succeeds in acid soils. Prefers a sunny position. A very ornamental[1] and easily grown plant[5]. The flowers are malodorous according to one report[4], whilst another says that they have a powerful oriental perfume[9]. Stem rooting, it is best planted 15cm deep in semi-shade[4][8]. The plant should be protected against slugs in early spring. If the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour[8]. Bulbs are best planted out into their permanent positions in early to mid-autumn in cool temperate zones and up to late autumn in warmer areas, this allows them to become established before new top growth commences in spring[8].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
? The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society 1982-00-00
Woodcock. and Coutts. Lilies - Their Culture and Management. Country Life 1935-00-00
RHS Lily Group. Lilies and Related Plants.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/