Common Name:

General Information

Lilium leichtlinii maximowiczii is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem around 120cm tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes cultivated as a food crop in Japan and is also sometimes grown as an ornamental.

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[]. Sandy places along valleys, mountain grasslands, limestone or serpentine areas; at elevations from near sea level to 1,300 metres[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Lilium leichtlinii maximowiczii 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-mould and sand mix with shelter from the midday sun[].
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[].
This form is said to be much easier to grow than the species[], though this is not necessarily true[]
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 and eaten as a vegetable[, , ]. The globose bulb can be up to 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[].