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Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense is a bulbous perennial. They commonly call it the Giant Lily. It is native to the Himalayas, China, and Myanmar. Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854) first described this plant in 1824. He was a Danish botanist.
It is part of the Liliaceae family of plants. Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense grows to 2m or 6ft tall. The name has its root in Greek. Kardia means heart and krinon means lily, it seems to be a reference to its heart-shaped foliage. Giganteum refers to its large size.
It has a rosette of dark green leaves. They are glossy and broad-ovate. The stem leaves are smaller. The young leaves are bronze and later turn green.
The flowers are grown on terminal racemes. Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense flowers in the summer. The flower is fragrant. It is trumpet-shaped about 6in or 15cm long. The flower is white. Inside the flower has a purple streak. Seed capsule follow the flowers.
How to grow Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense:
Grow Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense in partial shade, sheltered from strong wind. Plant it in humus-rich, fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Plant bulbs with the tip at the soil top level. Plant them in spring. Propagate by offsets or seeds. Watch out for snails, slugs, bulb rot, and lily mosaic virus.
