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Cardiocrinum cordatum

Common name:		Family:	Liliaceae
Author:	(Thunb.)Makino.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Lilium cordifolium, Lilium cordatum ((Thunb.)Koidz.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat:	Conifer, oak and bamboo woods in mountains in cool moist situations, especially in N. Japan[47, 90].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Hemerocallis cordata[G] Lilium cordatum var. glehnii[G] Lilium glehnii[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	cordatum = heart shaped
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Liliales. Lily family

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 1.8m. It is hardy to zone 7 and is frost tender. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Leaves Root.

An edible starch is obtained from the bulb[46, 61, 105].
Young leaves - cooked. This use will considerably weaken the plant and is not to be recommended in normal situations[46, 61].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist well-drained position in shade and a soil that is rich in leafmould[47, 200]. Requires a deep, very fertile humus-laden soil[233]. Prefers growing in woodland conditions[42, 200].
The dormant plant is in general hardy to about -10° c but it comes into growth very early in the year, sometimes in February, and the young growth is susceptible to frost damage[90, 200].
A monocarpic plant, the bulb takes about 7 years to reach flowering size but then dies after flowering. However, it produces a number of new bulblets at the base and can be propagated by these[47, 200]. These bulblets take 3 - 5 years to flower[200].
The flowers are sweetly scented[245].
When planting, only just cover the bulb with leafmould[47]. The bulb is very attractive to slugs, mice and voles and may require protection[200].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in the autumn. The plant has delayed epigeal germination and will often germinate in the spring but can take up to 2 years especially if the seed is stored prior to being sown[134]. An alternative is to mix the seed with some moist leafmould and seal it in a plastic bag. Keep this at a temperature of 20° c for 3 weeks then pot up any seed that germinates and place the rest in a fridge for 4 - 5 weeks at 3 - 5° c before sowing in a warm place[138]. Seedlings should be grown on in pots in a shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse for 3 - 4 years before planting them out in their permanent positions[138].
Bulblets are obtained from the base of the old plant after flowering. Pot up and plant out when well established.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are sweetly scented.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Liliaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[47] Fox. D. Growing Lilies. Croom Helm 1985
A lovely and very readable book dealing with the cultivation of the genus Lilium.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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