Common Name:

General Information

Lilium callosum is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem around 20 - 100cm tall, but more commonly from 50 - 90cm tall[].
The plant iss harvested from the wild for local use as a food. The plant is often grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its flowers.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, eastern China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Riverside meadows and meadow slopes[]. Grassy slopes in limestone areas; at elevations from 100 - 900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Lilium callosum is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant[].
Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun[]. Lime tolerant[, ]. Plants are quite hardy if they are grown in full sun[].
Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted 15cm 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[].
Closely allied to L. pumilum[].
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[, ]. The flattened-globose bulb is around 15 - 30mm in diameter[]. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). The bulb is made up of many imbricate, fleshy scales, without a tunic[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - immediate epigeal germination[]. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks[]. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people prefer to 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[].
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[].
Bulblets are formed on the stem just below the soil surface. These should be dug up in the autumn and replanted immediately, preferably in a cold frame for growing on until large enough to plant out into the garden[, ].