natural herbs
Lilium nanum

Herb latin name: Lilium nanum

Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Edible parts of Lilium nanum:

Bulb - cooked. The bulb is up to 23mm in diameter. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Bulb

Height:

45 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:

July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Open grassy, rocky hillsides, amongst dwarf rhododendron shrubs, 3300 - 4500 metres. Forest margins, thickets, grassy slopes and alpine grasslands, 3500 - 4500 metres in western China.

Propagation of Lilium nanum:

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.

Cultivation of the herb: