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Cardiocrinum giganteum

Common name:		Family:	Liliaceae
Author:	(Wall.)Makino.	Botanical references:	200, 266
Synonyms:	Lilium giganteum (Wall. non hort.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas from Nepal to Assam and Sikkim.
Habitat:	Woodland clearings at an altitude of 1,500 - 2,400 metres and as high as 3,600 metres around Simla[245].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	C. giganteum var. giganteum[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Giant Himalayan Lily [H], Giant Lily [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	giganteum = very large
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Liliales. Lily family

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 1.8m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 7. 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 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 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

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Poultice.

The leaves are used as an external cooling application to alleviate the pains of wounds and bruises[240].
A paste of the root is applied as a poultice to treat dislocated bones[272].

Other Uses

Musical.

A kind of flute is made from the hollow stems[272].

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].
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 scent the surrounding area with their rich sweet perfume[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 scent the surrounding area with their rich sweet perfume.

Suppliers

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

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[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 Cardiocrinum giganteum var. giganteum (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Lilium giganteum (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany 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.

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

[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.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

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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