This species is not always accepted as distinct, being sometimes treated as a part of Lilium japonicum Thunb.

Common Name:

General Information

Lilium nobilissimum is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem around 100cm tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its funnel-shaped, fragrant flowers.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Japan on Ryukyu Island.

Habitat

Steep cliffs

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	1.70 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Lilium nobilissimum is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°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[].
Not very easy to grow in cultivation, outside its native habitat it is best grown in the greenhouse border[],
Stem rooting, plant the bulbs 10 - 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[].
The flowers are sweetly scented[].
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[, ]. 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 - One report says immediate epigeal germination[], another says delayed hypogeal germination[] whilst a third says autumnal hypogeal germination[]. We would suggest sowing the seed as soon as possible and keeping your fingers crossed. 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[].