Common Name:

General Information

Lilium sargentiae is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem that can be from 45 - 160cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Sichuan)

Habitat

Grows amongst rank grasses and scrub on granite, slate and mud shales[]. Thicket margins and grassy slopes; at elevations from 500 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Lilium sargentiae 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[]. Does well on calcareous soils according to some reports[, ] whilst others say that it dislikes lime[, ]. Dislikes a very peaty soil[]. Requires a warm growing season with a neutral or alkaline soil[]. Prefers a sunny position[, ]. Does well when grown amongst dwarf shrubs[]. Except when in very favoured conditions, this plant is best grown in a cool greenhouse in Britain[].
The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts, it is therefore best to site the plant in a position that is sheltered from the morning sun[, ].
Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted 20 - 25cm 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[].
Plants are said to be very susceptible to botrytis[, ].
A very ornamental plant[]. The flowers have a delicious perfume[].
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 subglobose or broadly ovoid bulb can be around 50 - 60mm 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[].

Flowers[, , , ]. No more details are given.

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 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[].