PlantFiles: Giant Lily
Cardiocrinum giganteum

I have personal experience with all this plants dos and don'ts. Do get fresh seed. Don't pay a fortune for a few seeds, as not all are viable. Some have better embryos than others The ones I bought (20 seeds for a fortune) had no real embryo (which is a hard bit in the middle). They were blank or had a brownish mark--no good! Needless to say I planted them (the seller most likely will not tell you they have to be fresh) at the wrong time, waited a year with no results.

I bought a mature bulb, which only grew to a stretched 3 feet, but had good flowers. They will not establish well if mature and will not grow tall. Had plenty of seed, which I took off early Nov. as seed pods split, then sowed some by late November, discarding hundreds.

Sow in a tray of gritty soil/leaf mould/moss peat, cover lightly, and leave in semi-shady to shady spot. No need to fret about watering. Some will start germinating the following winter, in mild spells when it is moist, and some 2 winters later.

Now, this is the funny bit...the seed will only grow a thin, small leaf (and horrors!) will die. It can only grow as much as it's tiny bulb will let it. Each year it will grow only slightly more until 3 to 4 years from germination. As with chicken & egg, the leaf can only grow as big as the bulb will let it, and bulb only as big as food in the leaf!

This year the roots were well developed, 5 years on, and leaves lasted a long time, bulbs still small. I would envision 10 years to flowering, at least. I had 2 offsets from the bulb. It does die, but only as seeds mature. One flowered last year in very hot summer, no rain 2 months, temps high 20's to 30C. Was in the ground 2 years after potting on each year, in summer, slightly shaded spot. Still made 8 feet, 3 largish offsets, 4 a little smaller. Offsets will produce in the latter years each year toward maturity, so early planting advisable.


This year's offset flowering in 5th year looked much larger and lusher. Expected at least 10 ft but flowered early. Very cold summer so possibly thought autumn was coming on. Made around 2 metres. Flowers looked different than 1st offset, much redder throat. Made very good seed, 99% fertile, decided to sow more, have tons of it. Not lifted offsets yet, but expect more than 1st one as had an extra year.

With the 2 lots I will possibly have 1 a year soon, then more if I live long enough! Patience not really needed in my case, time will go anyway, and it did. Little maintenance other than pricking out, which I did only when 2 years from germinating and potting on. The scent is overpowering, vanilla-like. Worth all the waiting. A fleeting glimpse of a rare beauty worth all the little effort! UK zone 8a

A large bulbous plant from Southern China and the Himalayas.

Has large, ovate to heart shaped, glossy, deep green basal leaves, also carries smaller stem leaves. Bears tall stalks of white, trumpet shaped flowers that are heavily fragrant.

Flowers June-August

Likes a well-drained but moist, fertile soil in light shade.

This plant begins to die when the flowers are developing on the stalks (monocarpic), no amount of persuading will keep them alive once the seeds have been shed. However, when the flowering bulb dies, it has usually produced several bulbils/offsets around the old bulb which will flower in about 3-4 years from that point.

The plant will naturalise with these offsets but to have a year on year flowering you will first need to introduce several bulbs of differing ages.

It takes 6-8 years on average from seed germination to flowering plant, this is one that needs much patience!