Herb: Snake Lily


Latin name: Dichelostemma volubile


Synonyms: Brodiaea volubilis, Dichelostemma californicum


Family: Alliaceae (Onion Family)



Edible parts of Snake Lily:

Corm - raw or cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Corm


Height:
3.6 m
(12 feet)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Clay or granite, bushy or open slopes below 750 metres in California, where it clambers over shrubs.

Propagation of Snake Lily:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a free-draining compost in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame. Seedlings are prone to damping off and so should be kept well ventilated. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°C. If the seed is sown thinly enough, it can be grown on for its first year without transplanting and then the dormant bulbs can be planted 2/3 to a pot. Otherwise prick out the seedlings when large enough to handle, planting them 2/3 to a pot. Grow on the plants in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division in autumn of offsets that have reached flowering size. Dig up the clumps of bulbs and replant the larger ones into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up the smaller ones and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out.

Cultivation of the herb:

Clay or granite, bushy or open slopes below 750 metres in California, where it clambers over shrubs.

Medicinal use of Snake Lily:

None known

Known hazards of Dichelostemma volubile:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.