Crinum Lilies – Gardening with this Consummate Southern Belle

Crinum Lilies have the look of a true lily, but they are not, they are actually members of the amaryllis family. They first gained popularity in the southern United States, during the Civil War, and have been wooing growers worldwide ever since. Southerners nicknamed the flower cemetery lily, because they found that crinum lilies could be planted on the graves of fallen soldiers and would continue to flourish without much care.

History of the Crinum Lily

When traveling in the Deep South the mere sight of an antebellum home leaves one with forlorn thoughts and embellished imaginations. The mind’s eye conjures mental pictures of just what it may have been like during the post Civil War days. Even today, some of these homes may go abandoned and the lawns and gardens of these deserted domiciles sometimes lay unattended. Front and center, in this otherwise grim visual, it is not unusual to see sparse sprigs of crinum lilies that are simply flourishing. Proof positive, once again, that these thriving flowers can out last even the harshest conditions.

The history of the crinum lily twists and turns like an epic romance novel, but experts agree that crinum bulbs originally entered ports of the Southern United States on trade ships from Africa, India, and Asia. The Civil War did cause a disruption in this flower’s popularity, only for them to experience a substantial flux in the ’20s, and an all out gardening boom during the 1950s.

Dedicated horticulturists began a serious breeding plan for this garden beauty where they encouraged larger flowers, unusual colors and a more dramatic type foliage. These same growers began keeping guarded and extremely accurate catalogs and records, whereby ensuring the crinum lilies generational propagation.

Gardening with the Crinum

• Common name – Crinum Lily or Spider Lily.
• Botanical family – Amaryllidaceae.
• Plant type – Sustainable bulb, strap like leaves, trumpet shaped flower.
• Light requirements – Full sun (for at least 5 hrs. daily) some varieties prefer light shade.
• Soil preference – Average soil and water, drought tolerant once established, some varieties adapted to swampy conditions.
• Plant hardiness zones – Lower, coastal or tropical south. Plant in containers where winter freezes so you can bring them in doors during the winter months.

Crinum Lily Gardens and Flowers

Horticulturist Jenks Farmer, from Beech Island, South Carolina and owner of Lush Life Crinum Nurseries says, you can’t go wrong with crinum lilies. “Treat them like shrubs, not as perennials.” To fill a large area, plant in a sweeping mass. To add texture to a border, add a single plant. For patios, or to accent an entrance door, plant crinums in a nearby pot or container.

Jenks also advises that for the best experience with crinum lilies give them time to become established and they’ll flower after three years. Once they have taken a strong hold, at around five years, they flourish like no other lily. Another popular use for crinum lilies is for the art of floral arranging and as cut flowers. Jenks elaborates, they are “long living, showy and dramatic.”

Today many lily enthusiasts are growing crinum lilies for mail order, they are available on many flower web sites and can frequently be found at your local nursery or garden center. No matter how you acquire your collection of crinum lilies, you are sure to become a big fan.

Source:

Reed, Rebecca Bull, Southern Living, “Some Like it Hot”, July/2010, Pg. 47-50.

Lush Life Garden, assessed, 21 September 2010, Web