medicinal herbs
Coral Lily
Lilium pumilum

Herb: Coral Lily

Latin name: Lilium pumilum

Synonyms: Lilium tenuifolium

Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Medicinal use of Coral Lily:

The bulb is antiasthmatic, antitussive, expectorant, sedative and tonic (nutritive). It is used in the treatment of coughs, haemoptysis, insomnia and fidgetiness in the later stage of febrile disease.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Bulb

Height:

45 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:

June

Scent:

Scented
Bulb

Habitat of the herb:

Dry open stony southern slopes in mountainous areas and on foothills. Grassland and low scrub in shallow humus-rich soils, 400 - 900 metres.

Edible parts of Coral Lily:

Bulb - cooked. The bulb is up to 3cm in diameter. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).

Propagation of the herb:

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 Coral Lily: