Common Name: Golden-Rayed Lily

General Information

Lilium auratum is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing an erect, leafy stem around 100 - 150cm tall, though to 180cm in the var platyphyllum[].
The plant iss harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes cultivated as a food crop in Japan and is widely grown as an ornamental[, , ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - northern and central Japan.

Habitat

Hills and mountains[] in scrub or grassy places[], in volcanic ash or poor gravelly soils, always on steep well-drained slopes[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	1.30 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Lilium auratum is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant[]. It does not grow so well in climates where the summers are cool or too moist[].
Requires a well-drained lime-free peaty soil in a warm position with its roots in the shade[, , , , ]. Enjoys abundant moisture so long as the soil is very well drained[]. Prefers an open woodland position or growing amongst dwarf evergreens[]. The plant deteriorates rapidly if grown in much shade[]. Fertilizers, rich soils and lime are fatal to this plant[].
Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted about 25 - 30 cm deep[, ]. Early to mid autumn is the best time to plant out the bulbs in cool temperate areas, in warmer areas they can be planted out as late as late autumn[].
A very ornamental plant[], but short-lived in cultivation[].
The var. Lilium auratum platyphyllum has larger flowers than the type and is more amenable to adverse conditions[].
The flowers have a penetrating spicy aroma[].
Cultivated for its edible bulb in Japan[, ].
The plant should be protected against slugs in early spring. If the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour[].

Edible Uses

Bulb - cooked[, ]. Sweet and mucilaginous with a mild flavour that makes them acceptable to people who have never tried them before[, ]. The bulbs are used as a vegetable, and can also be boiled, sweetened, powdered and used in dumplings[]. The large, globose bulbs are usually 6 - 10cm in diameter[], though there are reports that they can be up to 17cm in diameter[, ]. The bulb is made up of many imbricate, fleshy scales, without a tunic[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - delayed hypogeal germination[]. Best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in spring[]. Stored seed will require a warm/cold/warm cycle of stratification, each period being about 2 months long[]. Grow on in cool shady conditions. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant[].
Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately[].
Root bulbils - dig up in autumn and pot up in a cold frame for the first year[].
Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out[].