Common Name:

General Information

Lilium leichtlinii is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem that can be from 50 - 200cm tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East (Primorye), northeast China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Humus-rich soils in river valleys and amongst grass on hills[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Lilium leichtlinii is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -25°c when fully dormant[].
Requires a light humus-rich acid soil and plenty of moisture in late spring[]. Should succeed in a cool well-drained peat, leaf-mold and sand mix with shelter from the midday sun[].
Plants are best grown in a greenhouse border in Britain[].
This species could be one of the parents of Lilium lancifolium[].
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[].
It is said that this species is very difficult to grow[] whilst its variety Lilium leichtlinii maximowiczii is much easier[], but this is not necessarily the case[].
The plant should be protected against rabbits and 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 white, globose bulb is around 20 - 40mm 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 leaf 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[].