natural herbs
Lilium dauricum

Herb latin name: Lilium dauricum

Synonyms: Lilium pennsylvanicum, Lilium spectabilis

Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Edible parts of Lilium dauricum:

Bulb - cooked. The bulb is about 2m in diameter. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Flowers. No further details are given.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Bulb

Height:

100 cm
(3 ¹/₄ foot)

Flowering:

June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Damp meadows and forest edges in mixed herbaceous vegetation in sandy soils. Open forests, bushy slopes, hillsides and moist meadows, 400 - 1500 metres.

Propagation of Lilium dauricum:

Seed - immediate epigeal germination. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks. 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. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately. 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. The formation of bulbils on the stem can be induced by either removing the stem at flowering time and layering it just below the soil surface, or by removing all the flowers before they open.

Cultivation of the herb: