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Common Name:

General Information

Crinum bulbispermum is a Bulb up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

One report says that the plant is toxic to mammals, but gives no indication as to the degree of toxicity.

Botanical References

Range

S. Africa - S. Transvaal and N. Natal.

Habitat

Seasonal pools, marshes and the banks of rivers[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a moist soil or the garden border[]. Requires a rich well-drained soil in a warm sheltered sunny position[].
Plants are only hardy in the milder areas of the country, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c[]. It is probable that the plants may require winter protection with dry leaves or bracken[].
Bulbs are sensitive to transplanting and may take several years to establish[]. After this, they will usually reproduce rapidly from offsets to produce the overcrowded conditions that stimulate them to flower freely[].
The bulbs should be planted with their necks above soil level[]. This conflicts with another report which says that they should be planted quite deeply in the soil[]. Only plant out good sized bulbs and do so at the end of May[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[].
The flowers emit a sweet, somewhat spicy odour which is especially pronounced at nightfall[].

Edible Uses

Root?? A number of species in this genus have edible bulbs. Although no records have been seen for this species, it is fairly hardy in Britain and the root can be as large as a football. It is worthy of investigation[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, placing 2 - 3 seeds in individual pots in a greenhouse. Do not cover the seed. Sow stored seed mid spring in a warm greenhouse. Once they have germinated, you can thin each pot to just one plant if required, though we have not found this to be necessary. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure that the plants do not suffer nutritional deficiencies. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first 2 years, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring.
Division of offsets in mid spring or in September. When divided in the spring, the bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, if done in September, however, they should be potted up and overwintered in the greenhouse.