Common Name: Panther Lily

General Information

Lilium pardalinum is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem that can be up to 280cm tall. The plant develops a rhizomatous rootstock that usually branches and forms colonies of stems that sometimes become large and dense[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

South-western N. America - Oregon, California, northwest Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Sinaloa)

Habitat

Stream banks and springy places; at elevations up to 2,000 metres. Forming large colonies near the coastal range[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Butterflies, Humming birds, Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Lilium pardalinum is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -25°c when fully dormant[].
Succeeds in almost any soil that is moist but not water-logged[, ]. Prefers a wet soil on a slope or a well-drained soil with a high water table[]. Tolerates lime[, , ]. Succeeds in full sun but rapidly deteriorates if grown in deep shade[]. Fairly wind resistant but is best grown in a sheltered position[, ].
Very ornamental and easily grown[], the plant is rhizomatous, forming clumps[]. The plant increases rapidly by division, each bulb producing 5 new bulbs per year[]. 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 variable plant, it is divided into a number of sub-species[].
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[, ]. Traditionally, the native N. Americans would bake the bulbs in an earth oven[]. 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 - autumnal 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 in 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.
Bulbils - gather in late summer when they start to fall off the stems and pot up immediately. Grow on in a greenhouse until large enough to go outside[].